SFCE 12

UNDER GRADUATE COURSES

FOUNDATION COURSE
COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH
FIRST YEAR
SECOND SEMESTER

PAPER - II
LISTENING SKILLS

INSTITUTE OF DISTANCE EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES PAPER - II
FIRST YEAR LISTENING SKILLS
SECOND SEMESTER

WELCOME
Warm Greetings.

It is with a great pleasure to welcome you as a student of Institute of Distance Education,

University of Madras. It is a proud moment for the Institute of Distance education as you are
entering into a cafeteria system of learning process as envisaged by the University Grants
Commission. Yes, we have framed and introduced Choice Based Credit System(CBCS) in
Semester pattern from the academic year 2018-19. You are free to choose courses, as per the
Regulations, to attain the target of total number of credits set for each course and also each
degree programme. What is a credit? To earn one credit in a semester you have to spend 30
hours of learning process. Each course has a weightage in terms of credits. Credits are assigned
by taking into account of its level of subject content. For instance, if one particular course or
paper has 4 credits then you have to spend 120 hours of self-learning in a semester. You are
advised to plan the strategy to devote hours of self-study in the learning process. You will be
assessed periodically by means of tests, assignments and quizzes either in class room or
laboratory or field work. In the case of PG (UG), Continuous Internal Assessment for 20(25)
percentage and End Semester University Examination for 80 (75) percentage of the maximum
score for a course / paper. The theory paper in the end semester examination will bring out your
various skills: namely basic knowledge about subject, memory recall, application, analysis,
comprehension and descriptive writing. We will always have in mind while training you in
conducting experiments, analyzing the performance during laboratory work, and observing the
outcomes to bring out the truth from the experiment, and we measure these skills in the end
semester examination. You will be guided by well experienced faculty.

I invite you to join the CBCS in Semester System to gain rich knowledge leisurely at
your will and wish. Choose the right courses at right times so as to erect your flag of success.
We always encourage and enlighten to excel and empower. We are the cross bearers to make
you a torch bearer to have a bright future.

With best wishes from mind and heart,

DIRECTOR

(i)
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES PAPER - II
FIRST YEAR LISTENING SKILLS
SECOND SEMESTER

COURSE WRITER

Ms. S. EVELYN SHARON

Assistant Professor
Department of English
Stella Maris College
Chennai

EDITING & COORDINATION

Dr. V. Meena Kumari M.A (Eng.), M.A. (J.M.C), M.Phil., Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Department of English
Anna Adarsh College for Women
Chennai

© UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS, CHENNAI 600 005.

(ii)
 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

FIRST YEAR

SECOND SEMESTER

PAPER - II

LISTENING SKILLS

SYLLABUS

Unit 1 - Introduction to Listening (active and passive listening; barriers to effective

listening; ways to improve active listening; identifying foreign accents)

Unit 2 - Listening to Announcements (decoding instructions)

Unit 3 - Listening to lectures, speeches news bulletins, audio-video materials (listening

and note-taking)

Unit 4 - Comprehending Stories (Listening to Stories and answering analytical questions)

Unit 5 - Listening for Leadership (listening to build interpersonal communication in

professional set-up)

(iii)
 UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

FIRST YEAR

SECOND SEMESTER

PAPER - II

LISTENING SKILLS
SCHEME OF LESSONS

Sl.No. Title Page

1. What is listening – Practice basic skills of listening 001

2. Effective Listening 009

3. Sub skills of Listening 019

4. Identifying Foreign Accents 027

5. Listening to announcements (decoding instructions) 043

6. Listening to News – Radio & TV 054

7. Listening to Speeches 069

8. Listening to Educational Entertainment tools 081

9. Listening for leadership. 087

10. Comprehending stories 095

(iv)
 1

LESSON 1
WHAT IS LISTENING –
PRACTICE BASIC SKILLS OF LISTENING

1.1 Introduction

We generally believe that of the four basic skills, speaking and writing are the productive
or the active skills, while listening and reading are the receptive or the passive skills. Much
research has been done on speaking, writing and reading, but listening is taken for granted
because we believe that it does not require much effort. However, language researchers have
proved that listening and reading are also active skills and listening is as much a subject for
research as reading, writing and speaking are. This unit deals with the basics of listening and
shows how important listening is in our everyday life.

1.2 Objectives
After reading this unit, You will be able to

 Point out the importance of listening

 Discuss the various uses of listening in everyday life

Plan of Study
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Objectives
1.3.1 What is Listening ?
1.3.2 The Purpose of Listening
1.3.3 What Do We Listen To ?
1.4 Recap
1.5 Activity
1.6 Check Your Answers
1.7 Model Questions

1.3.1 What is Listening ?

Often, we get confused between hearing and listening. We hear something which comes
to our ears, whether we want to or not. But, we listen to something only when we choose to do
so.
2

1.3.2 The Purpose of Listening

Why do we listen? The obvious answer is, to get information. Read the following set of
dialogues that will help you understand the purpose of listening.
 3

In Dialogue A as well as Dialogue B, Sam is the listener. But there is a difference between
the two sets of dialogues. Fill in the blanks with the rights words.

In Dialogue A,

 Sam is able to understand clearly what his boss wants him to do.

 He distinguishes between the sounds_______ and _______ He doesn’t get confused

between the two sounds and ask, Do you want me to put one bin in another bin ? “

In Dialogue B,

 Sam is unable to distinguish between the sounds _______ and _______

 Only after his boss spells the words pin and bin, and tells him clearly that the pin is next
to the yellow file, Sam is able to carry out the task.

Dialogue A shows that Sam is an effective listener, while Dialogue B shows that Sam is
not all that effective. Therefore, to sum up effective listening involves

 Distinguishing between two similar sounding words

 Understanding the message from a given context

(“Put that rusty pin in the bin” followed by “it’s next to the yellow file” indicates that it
refers to the pin)

 Recognising the tone of the speaker’s voice

For example, the picture and the words in bold letters indicate that the boss is angry and
is shouting at Sam.

 Listening for a specific piece of information.

Sometimes,we listen to the news to get information relating to a cricket match, or to the
weather forecast to get information about the weather in our region.

But, Sometimes, we have problems in listening. This could be because :

4

 The speaker does not convey his message clearly

 The listener is unable to understand the speaker’s use of language and expression.
Sometimes, the listener doesn’t pay attention to what the speaker is saying because he
is probably looking at something else or doing some other work.

The following dialogue is between the detective Hercule Poirot and Mrs. Clayton in Agatha
Christie’s, ‘The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.

“What is it, Madam, that you want me to do?

‘Oh’,she seemed surprised ‘I thought – you knew who I was?”

We find that the Poirot is quite clear in his question. He wants to know of what help he
can be to Mrs. Clayton. But Mrs.Clayton thinks that Hercule Poirot already knows everything
about her and therefore knows what exactly he has to do. In this case, the listener Mrs. Clayton
(who later on becomes the speaker ) is unable to communicate effectively because she assumes
that Mr. Poirot knows everything. Often such assumptions lead to a communication gap and
therefore it is better to be clear about what one has to say.

Look at yet another example

Rekha : I knew she would do this.

Tina : Oh, come on. You know how clumsy Mrs. Stevens is.

Rekha : Mrs. Stevens? Whoever was talking about her? I was talking about

Mrs. Khan. She has bagged the first prize in the cookery compertion.

Tina: : Oh, I thought you were talking about Mrs. Stevens dropping the vase.

This dialogue clearly shows that Rekha was quite ambiguous (unclear) about whom she
was talking. The word ‘she’ could refer to any woman, not Mrs. Khan alone. So, the problem
here lies with the speaker.
 5

1.3.3 What Do We Listen To?

Penny Ur in her book entitled ‘Teaching Listening Comrehension’ lists the various real-
life listening situations that we are subject to.

 Listening to the news/weather forecast/sports report/announcement etc. on the radio

 Discussing work/current problems with family or colleagues

 Making arrangements/exchanging news etc. with acquaintances

 Making arrangements/exchanging news etc. over the telephone

 Chatting at a party/other social gathering

 Hearing announcements over the loudspeaker (at the railway station, for example, or
airport)

 Receiving instructions on how to do something/get somewhere

 Attending a lesson/ seminar

 Being interviewed/interviewing someone

 Watching a film/theatre show/television programme

 Listening to recorded/broadcast songs

 Attending a formal occasion (wedding/prize-giving/other ceremony)

 Getting professional advice (from a doctor, for example)

 Being tested orally in a subject of study

These situations of listening may be grouped under two broad categories:

General Listening: Here we may listen to everything and form a general idea about the
information provided. Examples are: listening to a speech or a talk in a seminar, chatting at a
party or a social gathering, speeches on formal occasion, etc
6

Selective Listening: In this case, we may listen attentively only to what we want and
may not pay much attention to the rest of the conversation/speech.

Check Your progress

Read the following piece of information and below each one, write what category of
listing situation they belong to (Read the various categories that penny Ur mentions).An example
has been done for you.

Example

I had a tough time at the office today, dear. There was traffic jam in the morning and so
I was late.The boss had already arrived and was furious. “Just who do you think you are?” he
yelled I apologised and rushed to my seat only to remember that I had left the Shogun Motors
file at home. You can imagine what happened after that, can’t you?

Discussing work/current problems with family or colleagues

1. The Roarers football team has won the match 2-0 for the third time. Coach /Andy Simmons
attributes this victory to the grace of God and the effort of the team.

2. You have mentioned in one of your speeches that you will promote the Arts and Crafts
Industry if you are voted to power. Could you please tell our viewers why you are particularly
interested in this industry?

3. In today’s class we shall be discussing the Indo-European family of languages. Does

anybody here know what this Indo-European family of languages is all about?

4. Mr. Ram, can you explain what Internet engineering is?

 7

5. Go straight and turn left. You have a board that says, “Molly’s Eat-Out”. Next to that is a
narrow lane. Take that lane and you will reach “ Josiah’s Bakery”

6. I’m dying to meet you, Laura. There’s something very interesting that I’ve got to tell you .
Shall we meet at Tiffany’s tomorrow for lunch? How about a quarter to one? Perfect!

1.4 Recap

 Listening is one of the four basic skills of language learning and use

 Listening is a voluntary activity whereas hearing is involuntary

 We listen to gather information

 Listening also involves getting the tone and the voice of the speaker correct

 Listening situations in real life are many and varied

1.5 Activity

Very often we get confused between hearing and listening. Maintain a diary for a week
and observe the situations where you have simply heard something and others where you
have listened. You will notice that good listening will improve yours memory, force you to
participate in the discussions and take actions and decisions.

1.6 Check Your Answers

Dialogue A

Pin: bin

Dialogue B

Pin : pen

1. Listening to the sports report

8

2. Interviewing

3. Attending a lesson/lecture

4. Testing orally in a subject of study

5. Receiving instructions on how to get somewhere

6. Making arrangements/exchanging news etc. over the telephone

1.7 Model Questions

1. Establish the functions and role of listening in everyday life. (100 words)

2. Contrast the skills of hearing and listening. Explain the highlighting aspects of listening
comprehension. (200 words)1
 9

LESSON 2
HOW TO LISTEN EFFECTIVELY

2.1 Introduction

As we saw in the previous lesson, Hearing and Listening are two very different aspects.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines hearing as the ability to “perceive with the ear the sound
made by someone or something”. Listening can be defined as “giving one’s attention to a
sound”. When we walk down a lane, we hear different sounds, like the sound of the crow
cawing, the sound of vehicles honking, the sound of people talking. But we listen carefully to
the traffic sergeant when he blows his whistle and asks us to cross the road. In this lesson, we
are going to look at the classification of listening skills, the impediments that stop us from
listening effectively, and the ways in which we can improve our ability to listen.

2.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 distinguish between active and passive listening

 identify barriers to listening properly

 recognize factors that aid effective listening

Plan of Study
2.1 Introduction

2.2 Objectives

2.3.1 Kinds of listening

2.3.2 Barriers to effective listening

2.3.3 How to improve your listening skills

2.4 Recap

2.5 Do it yourself
10

2.6 Activity

2.7 Check your answers

2.8 Model Questions

2.3.1 Kinds of listening

Listening is a receptive skill because there is no active production of thoughts, ideas and
words. This is a skill that is often side-lined because humans are social-egotistical beings who
love to speak and put our thoughts out to others. Constantly thinking and expressing our
thoughts and feelings give us a sense of satisfaction. In this cloud of satisfaction, we fail to
listen to what others have to say to us. It is, therefore, important to remind ourselves that this
skill that is often overlooked is indispensible to effective communication and in building a good
rapport.

Listening is a skill that all human beings use first before other skills. When a foetus is in
the mother’s womb, it listens to the sound of the mother. The foetus does not speak or read or
write in the womb but listens. And when the child is born, it listens to the sounds that the people
around it make and acquires words and forms language. Without listening, speech cannot
exist. In the previous lesson, we learnt about what listening skills are. Now, we will learn about
the two kinds of listening.
 11

ACTIVE LISTENING:

This is a type of listening where the listener pays complete attention to the speaker. As
the name suggests, the listener makes a conscious effort to listen as opposed to just hearing
the sounds that fall onto his ears. The listener tries to comprehend the verbal and the non-
verbal messages that the speaker is communicating, thereby taking an active role in the process
of communication. A person who listens actively is keen on acquiring information and shows a
genuine interest in the topic of conversation. The essence of a good conversation is building a
rapport and understanding. This can be developed by active listening because, when the listener
responds positively to the speaker, there is an unspoken rapport that is created which leads to
understanding and trust. The listener actively participates in the conversation through the
following steps:

1. Body Language:An active listener makes use of body language to convey to the speaker
that (s)he is listening to what is being said with interest. A few common body language
cues are head nods, eye contact, a gentle smile, and an upright posture. These gestures
are non-verbal signals that give positive reassurance to the speaker. The face is the
index of the mind. When a listener is genuinely interested in a conversation, (s)he listens
actively, and that is revealed clearly in the face. These signs encourage the speaker to
proceed with the reassurance that (s)he is not being judged. The lack of these positive
gestures might be disconcerting.

2. Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is also known as ‘Rewording’. An active listener rewords

the content of the speaker in order to get more clarity in the conversation. Paraphrasing
also helps the listener to clarify his/her doubts. Use phrases like, “So what you are saying
is…”, “What I understand from this is…”, “Correct me if I am wrong, so what you are
saying is…” etc. When the content is summarized by the listener, the speaker can
understand if comprehension has taken place. Also, when a listener summarizes, (s)he
ensures the accuracy of their understanding of the speech. If you’ve missed out on anything
or misunderstood anything, the speaker can correct you immediately. It is important to
remember that you should not paraphrase or summarize too often as this would appear
condescending.
12

3. Giving Feedback:Active listening also involves the process of giving feedback. It is

important to let the speaker know your thoughts on the ideas that are shared in the
conversation. When you are giving feedback it has to be pertinent and objective, without
personal biases or prejudices. Although giving feedback involves speaking, it becomes
an important aspect of active listening as you can give feedback only when you listen. Try
to keep negative feedback minimal and encourage the speaker with positive feedback.
The negative feedback should be coated with positive words. For example, imagine
listening to a speaker promoting an idea that you think may not work. You can say, “I love
this idea but I can see some challenges that we might face. You could work on…”. When
you use phrases like this, you achieve two purposes at one go. The first is that the speaker
knows that you have paid attention to what (s)he has said. Secondly, your negative feedback
is coated with positive words like, “I love this idea”, thereby giving the speaker positive
reassurance and not a strong judgment thereby allowing space for constructive criticism/
feedback.

PASSIVE LISTENING:

Passive listening is an effortless, mechanical type of listening. Passive listening is very

similar to “hearing”. In this type of listening, there is no connection between the speaker and
the listener. The listener does not make an effort to establish a rapport or to gain the trust of the
speaker. (S)he is disconnected from the speaker and does not interact with the speaker by
paraphrasing or giving feedback. The listeners either sit quietly or are distracted. They do not
get involved in the conversation like active listeners. They passively absorb information that
they randomly hear. Because they hear only now and then, the comprehension is not complete.
Their understanding is not well-formed.

Active listening is always preferred to passive listening as it promotes a healthy

conversation where there is a good rapport between the speaker and the listener. The
comprehension of the subject of discussion is always better in active listening as the listener
clarifies his/her doubts and provides instant feedback. Active listening is dialogic (two-way
process) as verbal and non-verbal messages are constantly exchanged; whereas, passive
listening is monologic (one-way process) as the conversation is one-sided and there is no
response from the side of the listener.
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I. Do you know?
1. ___________ is the first skill that we use.

2. The two kinds of listening are ___________ and ___________.

3. Listening is a ___________ skill as there is no active production of thoughts.

4. In ___________, the listener makes a conscious effort to understand and establish a

rapport with the speaker.

5. Passive listening is ___________ and mechanic.

Although active listening involves active participation in a conversation, there are a few
barriers that hinder it. Let’s now take a look at some of the barriers:

2.3.2 Barriers to effective listening

Communication skills do not just rely on one’s ability to talk. They also rely on one’s
ability to listen effectively. The following are some of the barriers that hinder effective listening.

Listening without focus:

Listening to a conversation without focus acts as a hindrance to effective communication.

When you listen to a speech, your attention might sometimes drift away and start focussing on
something else. This shift in focus happens mostly because of boredom. Similarly, when you
14

try to listen to more than one conversation,you tend to listen without focus. For example, at
home, when you are listening to your mother, a nice song on TV might capture your interest. In
that case, you will try to listen to both your mother and the song and you will end up not paying
full attention to both. To overcome this barrier, it is important to practice active listening where
you not only listen but also give your views and clarify your doubts. If it is a formal business
conversation, you can also take down notes to keep your mind focussed on the speaker.

Prejudices and Judgements:

Your prejudices and judgements can also impair effective listening. When you don’t agree
with what the speaker is saying, you may quickly arrive at judgements. You might also start
judging a person by thinking that (s)he is not qualified enough or does not know enough so
there is no point to listening to him or her. You might also form prejudices based on gender,
age, race, status etc. All these factors affect a person’s listening ability. To overcome this
mental barrier, it is important to listen to a person with an open mind. Learn to respect the
speaker without undermining their value. Try to acknowledge the fact that every human being
can teach us something valuable in life. If the speaker’s point of view varies from yours, do not
mentally shut down, but try to understand and look at it from the speaker’s perspective.
 15

Noisy environment:

Noise hinders the process of listening. It is the external distraction that can really make it
difficult to properly hear the words that the other person is saying, let alone actually absorb
what they are trying to convey. Look at the above picture. The man and the woman on the left
side of the picture are unable to have a conversation because of the woman on the right who
is playing her guitar for loudly. Noise is a great impediment to active listening. When a business
meeting is happening, the loud noise from a ringing cell phone not only distracts the listeners
but also acts as a barrier that prevents the voice of the speaker from reaching the listeners. To
eliminate this barrier, put yourself in a good environment where there is minimal noise and
make sure your electronic gadgets (radio, television set, cell phone, mixers, grinders etc.) are
in the silent mode or switched off. This would create the perfect set-up for active listening.

2.3.3 How to improve your listening skills

Listening comes naturally to human beings. Though the listening skill is the first skill that
we use, we usually take it for granted. It is therefore important to hone this skill. Here are a few
tips to improve your listening skills.

 Be open-minded: Avoid listening to a person with prejudices and biases in your mind.
Listen to the speaker with an open-mind.

 Be a patient listener: Listen patiently and wait for your turn to respond to the speaker. Do
not interrupt when a person is talking.
16

 Listen without distractions: Keep away from external noise that distracts you from listening.
Maintain eye contact with the speaker and listen with focus.

 Listen to the non-verbal messages: Listening does not just imply focussing on words.
You must learn to listen to the non-verbal cues as well.

 Clarify your understanding: Check your understanding with the speaker whenever and
wherever necessary. This ensures that you understand whatever you are listening to.

 Show that you are a good listener: In order to be a good listener, you must show that as
you are one. Maintaining eye contact, nodding your head, gently smiling, taking down
notes are some of the ways of demonstrating that you are a good listener.

2.4 Do you know II

State whether the following sentences are true or false:

1. Listening without focus is a characteristic feature of active listening.

2. Listening with personal biases and prejudices impairs listening because our focus will be
on judging the speaker and not on listening.

3. The voice of the speaker becomes inaudible in a noisy environment.

4. Interrupting a speaker is a sign of impatient listening.

5. A good listener does not maintain eye contact.

2.5 Recap
 Listening refers to paying careful attention to what is being said.

 Hearing is different from listening as it is an inert process of letting the sound waves fall
on your eardrums.

 Listening is of two types: Active and Passive.

 In Active listening the listener actively participates in the process of listening.

 The listener uses body language to signal to the speaker that he is actively listening to
him.
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 An active listener would paraphrase the content of the speech and would raise questions
to clarify his doubts.

 Giving constructive feedback is another characteristic feature of active listening,

 Passive listening is similar to hearing as the listener is a passive recipient of the words
uttered by the speaker.

 Lack of focus is a barrier to effective listening.

 When we have prejudices or preconceived notions, our listening gets affected.

 Noise acts as a barrier to active listening.

 It is important to listen patiently with an open mind.

 When you are listening, make sure you are in a quiet environment.

 Listening to the non-verbal signs is as important as listening to the verbal messages.

 Body language is used to signal to the speaker that you are an active listener.

2.6 Activity
1. Make a list of the circumstances where you would hear and listen every day and complete
the following table:

HEAR LISTEN

Crows cawing TV news

Vehicles honking Teacher teaching

2.7 Check your answers:

I. Do you know?
1. Listening

2. Active and Passive listening

3. Receptive
18

4. Active listening

5. Effortless

Do you know II
1. False

2. True

3. True

4. True

5. False

2.8 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in 50 words:

1. What is active listening?

2. What is passive listening?

Answer the following in 200 words:

1. How to listen effectively?

2. What are the features of active listening?

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LESSON 3
SUB-SKILLS OF LISTENING

3.1 Introduction

To build a strong house, you should first build a strong foundation. Likewise, in order to
make your listening skills stronger, you need to first master the sub-skills of listening. A sub-
skill is a small unit of a skill, gaining the expertise of which will make a person obtain better
command over a skill. In this lesson we will be looking at the sub-skills of listening

3.2 Objectives
After reading this unit, you will be able to

 listen for global comprehension

 listen to obtain specific information.

Plan of Study
3.1 Introduction

3.2 Objectives

3.3.1 Listening for global comprehension

3.3.2 Listening for specific information

3.4 Recap

3.5 Activity

3.6 Check your answers

3.7 Model Questions

3.3.1 Listening for global comprehension

An eagle flying high in the sky will be able to see the land underneath, with all the houses,
trees and buildings. Will it be able to see what is happening inside the houses or buildings?
Will it be able to see a squirrel hiding in the trunk of a tree? Certainly not. The eagle will only get
an overview of the land below and not a clear picture of what is happening down there. Similarly,
listening for global comprehension also aims at getting an overview. Listening for global
20

comprehension is listening to get the gist of the speech or the conversation that you are listening
to. The focus here is not to check if you have understood every word of what you hear but
whether you have understood the overall meaning of what you are listening to. This is an
important sub-skill in listening because not all situations warrant complete understanding of
hwat is being spoken. Listening for global comprehension can also be referred to as listening
for gist

How can we listen to get the gist?

The ‘gist’ can be defined as the essence or the central idea of a text. Read the following
example:

A cyclonic depression is formed in the Arabian Sea. Heavy rains lashed out in parts of
Goa as a result of this depression. The cyclone is moving at a speed of 200 miles per
hour. The cyclone is positioned at 38.0° N and 78.2° W. Fishermen are advised to not go
fishing for another two days.

The above example is an excerpt from a weather forecast on TV. When you listen to this
news items such as this, your focus is neither on the speed of the cyclone nor on the position
but on the simple fact that there is a cyclone in the Arabian Sea and that there is heavy rain in
Goa. This type of listening is listening for global comprehension or ‘listening for the gist’.

The content words in a sentence will help you understand the overall meaning of the
spoken text. Content words are words that convey the meaning of a sentence. In other words,
content words are the nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs of a sentence. They are the
opposites of function words. Function words are words that help in building the structure of a
sentence. They are the skeletal system of a sentence. Function words are the articles, preposition
etc. They do not carry the meaning of a sentence but help in making a sentence grammatically
meaningful.

When we are listening to spoken content, we should identify the content words. And
these words would help us identify the gist of the text. Let us consider the following passage as
an example:
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Raju is a good cook. His cooking skills developed from his love for food. Food makes
Raju happy. He eats all kinds of food starting from the South Indian idly to the North
Indian phulka.

What is this small passage about? If you have guessed “food”, you are correct. What
made you guess that the passage is about food? It was words like “cook”, “food”, “eats”, “idly”,
“phulka” etc. These words that helped you understand the overall meaning of the text are the
content words.

The function words in the passage are “for”, “a”, “the” etc. These words do not convey
the meaning of the passage but help in providing structure.

To listen for the gist of the spoken content, listen to the content words and try to link the
words together to identify a common theme and Theme would help you understand the gist
accordingly.

Do you know I

State whether the following statements are true or false:

1. The ‘gist’ is the main idea of the text.

2. When we listen for global comprehension, we are looking out for specific information.

3. Content words help the listener to understand the global meaning of a passage.

3.3.2 Listening for specific information

Imagine that you are new to the kitchen. You do not know how to cook and you are
learning to make paneer butter masala by watching a video on YouTube. The video gives
detailed instructions on how to make this dish. By the end of the video you get a global
understanding that Paneer is the main element used in the dish. Will that global comprehension
help you make paneer butter masala? No. You need to know the list of ingredients used, the
quantity in which they are used, and the order in which they are used. Without knowing these
specific details you will not be able to cook the dish. In order to know the steps that need to be
followed, you must listen carefully for specific information.
22

Similarly, when you are at the railway station you must listen to the announcements for
information on the time your train will start or the platform where your train is positioned in. This
involves listening for specific information.

Listening for specific information focuses on the listener’s ability to understand the
speaker’s message in detail. To listen for specific information, the listener must demonstrate
active listening and must concentrate and pay attention to what is being said. To promote this
type of listening, we must develop the ability to concentrate and we must ignore distractions.
As seen in the previous lesson, we must put ourselves in a good environment where there is
minimal noise in order to listen effectively to specific details.

How can we listen for specific information?

The first step in listening for specific information is prediction. Prediction is also known as
guessing. When you hear the topic of the spoken text, you mind must immediately start guessing
the content that you are about to hear. This stage of prediction prepares your mind to listen for
specific information as this stage will bring words and ideas from the subconscious mind to the
conscious mind. When the required vocabulary is in the conscious mind, listening to gather
specific information becomes very easy.

The next stage is comprehension. In this stage, you will try to understand the meanings
of words that you hear. It is impossible for anyone to know the meanings of all the words that
they listen to. In that case, you will try to guess the meaning of the word based on the context
and your global understanding of the text.

The last step in listening for specific information is to take down notes. This stage could
be seen as a parallel stage to step two. Note taking can be defined as the systematic process
of writing down information that you listen to. Taking notes could prevent you from missing out
on important information. Do not attempt to take down all the words that you hear. Take down
only the main words or the ‘content words’ as it will save time and would also help you recollect
important points.
 23

Do you know II

Fill in the blanks:

1. Listening for __________ information focuses on the listener’s ability to understand the
speaker’s message in detail.

2. The three stages in listening for specific information are __________, __________
and__________.

3. Listening for specific information involves ___________ listening.

3.4 Recap

 It is important to master the sub-skills of listening in order to achieve proficiency in listening

skills

 A sub-skill is a small unit of a skill, gaining expertise of it will make a person obtain
command over the skill.

 The two sub-skills of listening are: Listening for global comprehension and listening for
specific information.

 Listening for global comprehension can also be referred to as listening for gist.

 Listening for global comprehension aims at listening to get an overview of the text.

 Content words help the listeners to understand a text globally.

 Content words are words that convey the meaning of a sentence.

 Content words are the nouns, adjectives, verbs and adverbs of a sentence.

 Function words are words that provide structure to a sentence.

 A listener must engage in active listening in order to listen for specific information.

 The three stages of listening for specific information are prediction, comprehension and
note taking.
24

 Prediction is a stage where the listener mentally prepares himself to listen for information.

 Comprehension is a stage where the content is processed by the brain to understand its
meaning.

 Taking down notes is a very important stage in listening for information as it prevent the
listener from missing out on important information.

3.6 Activity
1. Here are a few scenarios where the listener has to use one of the two sub-skills of listening,
i.e. listening for global comprehension and listening for specific information. Read the
scenarios and identify which of the sub-skills will be used and put a tick mark (“) to choose
the right sub-skill. The first one is done for you.

No. Scenario Listening for global Listening for

comprehension specific information

1. You are attending a class to learn a 

new language. The teacher is teaching
you grammar rules. Which sub-skill
will you employ?

2. Your friend is getting married and

you are invited for the Sangeeth
where they are play good music.
Which sub-skill will you employ
while listening to the music?

3. You are recruited in a company. It

is you first day of work. Your employer
is giving you instructions about your
work. Which sub-skill will you employ
while listening to your employer?
 25

4. You are running late for work but you

want to listen to the TV news before
leaving the house. Will you listen for
the gist or for specific information?

5. You are at the airport. You suddenly

hear some information regarding your
flight being announced. Which sub-skill
of listening will you employ?

2. Watch a cookery show of your choice and write down the steps involved in making the
recipe.

3.7 Check your answers:

Do you know I

State whether the following statements are true or false:

1. True

2. False

3. True

Do you know II

Fill in the blanks:

1. specific

2. prediction, comprehension and note taking

3. active
26

Activity

No. Scenario Listening for global Listening for

comprehension specific information

1. Your friend is getting married and

you are invited for the Sangeeth
where they are play good music.
Which sub-skill will you employ
while listening to the music?

2. You are recruited in a company. It  

is you first day of work. Your employer
is giving you instructions about your
work. Which sub-skill will you employ
while listening to your employer?

3. You are running late for work but you 

want to listen to the TV news before
leaving the house. Will you listen for
the gist or for specific information?

5. You are at the airport. You suddenly

hear some information regarding your
flight being announced. Which sub-skill
of listening will you employ? 

3.7 Model Questions

Answer the following in about 100 words

1. Write a short note on content words and function words.

2. Why is it important to take down notes?

 27

LESSON 4
IDENTIFYING FOREIGN ACCENTS

4.1 Introduction

With English becoming the language for communication of a huge slice of the world, It
becomes imperative that we understand the different style, and modes of speaking the language.
As Winston Churchill once commented, “The United States of America and the United Kingdom
are two great nations divided by the Atlantic and a common language”. In this unit we shall see
the difference in accents of the speakers of English in some of the major countries.

4.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 Identify the differences in accent

 List the differences between British English and American English

Plan of study
4.1 Introduction

4.2 Objectives

4.3.1 Features of American English

4.3.2 Differences in British English and American English

4.3.3 Features of Australian /English

4.3.4 Features of Indian English

4.4 Do it Yourself

4.5 Recap

4.6 Activities

4.7 Check Your Answer

4.8 Model Questions

28

4.3.1 Features of American English

In several ways, American English is conservative in its phonology in comparison to

British English. It is sometimes claimed that certain rural areas in North America speak
“Elizabethan English,”and there may be some truth in this, but the standard American English
of the upper Midwest has a sound profile that may seem much closer to 17th century English
than contemporary speech in England. The conservatism of American English is essentially
the result of the fact that it represents a mixture of various dialects from the British Isles.
Dialects in North America are most distinctive on the East Coast of the continent: this is mainly
due to the fact that these areas were in contact with England, and imitated prestigious varieties
of British English at a time when those varities were undergoing changes. The settlers in the
interior of the country had no obvious reason to be closely connected to England. Besides they
had no access to the ocean during a time when journey to Britain were always by sea. Thus the
inland speech is much more homogeneous than the East Coast speech, and was never
influenced by the many changes in speech from England.

Most North American speech is rhotic,a characteristic feature of English in the 17th century.
Rhoticity was further enhanced and support by Hiberno-English, Scottish English, and west
Country English. In most varieties of North American English, the sound corresponding to the
letter “R” is a retroflex semivowel rather than a trill or a tap. The loss of syllable-final r in North
America is confined mostly to the accents of eastern New England, New York city and
surrounding areas, South Philadelphia, and the coastal portions of the south. Dropping of
syllable, or words and the next syllable or word begins in a consonant. In England, last ’r’ was
often changed into [e] (schwa), giving rise to a new class of falling diphthongs. Furthermore,
the ‘er’ sound of (stressed) furn or (unstressed) butter, which is represented in IPA as stressed
[3] or unstressed [e] is realized in American English as a monophthongal r- colored vowel. This
does not happen in the non-rthotic varieties of North American speech.

Other changes in British English in which most North American dialects do not participate
are given below: The shift of [ae] to [a] (the so-called “board A’) before [f],[s],[e],[q],[z],[v]alone
or preceded by [n]: This is the difference between the British Received Pronunciation and
American pronunciation and American pronunciation of bath and dance. In the United States,
only linguistically conservative eastern-New- England speakers took up this innovation.
 29

Do You Know I
1. It is sometimes claimed that certain rural areas in North America speak ___________

2. Thhe inland speech is much more homogeneous than _________ and was never
influenced by the many changes.

3. Most North American speech is _________ a characteristic feature of English in the 17th

century.

4. In most varieties of North American English, the sound corresponding to the letter “R” is

a _________ rather than a trill or a tap.

5. Give the phonetic script of bath and dance as pronounced in American /English

 The shift of intervocalic [t] to glottal stop [/] as in /b? For bottle. This changes is not

universal for British English (and in fact is not considered to be part of Received
pronunciation), but it does not occur in most North American dialects. Newfoundland

English is a notable exception in this case.

On the other hand, North American English has undergone some sound changes not
found in Britain, at least not in standard varieties. May of these are instances of phonemic

differentiation and include:

 The merger of [a]and [a],making father and brother rhyme. This change is nearly universal
in North American English, occurring almost everywhere except for parts of eastern New

England, like the Boston accent.

 The replacement of the lot vowel with the strut vowel in what, was of from everybody,

nobody, somebody, anybody, because, and in some dialects want.

 The merger of [a] and [c]. This is the so –called cot-caught merger, where cot and caught

are homophones. This change has occurred in eastern New England, in Pittsburgh and

surrounding areas, and from the Great Plains westward.

30

 Vowel merger beore intervocalic/r/. Which (if any) vowels are affected varies between
dialects.

 The merger of [u] and [3] after palatals in some words, so that cure, pure, mature and
sure rhyme with fir in some speech registers for some speakers.

 Dropping of [i] after [n],[d],[t],[s],[z],and [i] so that new, duke, Tuesday, suit, resume, lute
are pronounced

 /E-tensing in environment that vary widely from accent to accent. In some accents,
particularly those from Philadelphia to New York City, [] and []can even contract sometimes,
as in Yes i can [keen] vs.tin can []

 Laxing of /e/,/i/ and /u/ to /E/. /i/ /U/ before /r/ . causing pronunciations like /pErl/’

 The flapping of intervocalic [t] ad [d] to alveolar tap [r] before non-initial reduced vowels.
The words ladder and latter sound completely homophonous, possibly distinguished only
by the length of preceding vowel. for some speakers. The merger is incomplete and ‘t’
before a reduced vowel is sometimes not tapped following and unbidden are distinguished.
Other distinguish the sounds if they are preceded by the diphthongs [] or []. These speakers
tend to pronounce write with [] and rider with []. This is called Canadian raising: it is
general in Canadian English, and occurs in some northerly versions of American English
as well.

 The dropping of [] that occur between [n] and an unstressed vowel, making winter and
winner sound the same. This does not occur when the t after the n belongs to second
stress syllable, as in entail.

 The pin-pen merger ,by which [] is raised to [I] before nasal consonants, making pairs
like pen/pin homophonous. This merger originated in Sounthern American English but is
now widespread in the Midwest and West as well.

Some mergers found in most varieties of both American and British English include:

 The horse-hoarse merger of the vowels [] and [] before ‘r’ making pairs like horse/hoarse,
corps/core,for/four, morning/mourning etc.homophones

 The wine –Whine merger making pair like wine/whine,wer/whet,wales/whales,wear/

 31

Where etc. homosphones. Many older varieties of southern and western American English
still keep these distinct, but the merger apperars to be spreading.

Do You Know II

Give examples for the following

1. The merger of [a] and [D].

2. The merger of [D] and [c]

3. The merger of [u] and [3]

4. Dropping of [i] after [n],[d]

5. The flapping of intervocalic [t] and [d] to alveolar tap [r] before non-initial reduced vowels.

4.3.2 Differences in British and English and American English

American English differs in both spelling and grammar from its British parents.Some of
these changes were made as part of an attempt to rationalize the English spelling used by
British English at the time. Unlike many 20th century language reforms as is found in, for example,
Turkey’s alphabet shift, Norway’s spelling reform in the /American spelling changes were
accomplished largely by textbook writers and dictionary makers and not enforced by the
government as in the cases of the former.

The first American dictionary was compiled by Noah Webster in 1828. At the time, America
was relatively still in its infancy and Webster’s particular contribution was to demonstrate that
the region spoke a different dialect from Britian, and so he wrote a dictionary with spellings
modified from the standard. Many of these changes were initiated independently by Webster.

Webster also advocated many spelling reforms and his ‘simplification’ of the idiomatic
spelling of his times rather ironically, fell into common practice along with the original versions,
resulting in a situation all the more confused than before.

Do You Know III

1. The first American dictionary was compiled ____________
32

2. American English differ in both ____________ from its British parents.

3. Webster also advocated __________ resulting in a situation all the more confused than
before.

4.3.3 Features of Australian English

Australian accents consists of 24 consonants and 20 vowels. Of these, two vowels

correspond to central diphthongs of RP and have variable realisations. Besides these two
vowels there are also 7 short and 6 long monophthongs, and 5 diphthongs. Unlike American
English, Austrlian English is a non- rhotic dialect: the consonant sound /r/ occurs only before a
vowel.

Vowels

There are many similarities between the Australian and New Zealand vowel systems.
The differences between the two dialects are explicit to an Australian or a Newzealander but to
an outsider they reveal great resemblances. These apart, the Australian vowel system is quite
different from that of other dialects of English around the world.
 33

Features of other standard dialects present tense vowels, lax vowels, and diphthongs.
Australian English on the other hand has altered most of the tense vowels into diphthongs, and
changed a few of the diphthongs in RP into long vowels, thus replacing the tense-lax distinction
(one of quality ) with a long – short distinction (one of quantity). The table above, based on
Harrington, Cox and Evans (1997), shows this.

Do You Know IV

Give the phonetic script as required for the following vowels

1. heed, happy (Australian)

2. hat, had (Australian)

3. hot (RP)
34

4. horde ,dawn (Australian)

5. hate (Australian)

6. howl (RP)

 The vowel in word like tour, pure ,cure, moor, poor ,tournament, sure, etc. has diverged
according to the whims of the speakers, either remaining as/ ue/, or splits to become / (a
sequence of two separate monophthongs) in some words or /O:/(a long monophthong)

 Additionally,the vowels are generally pronounced higher up in the mouth than their English
counterparts:

 /Ie/ (beard) is often pronounced as [I] when followed by a consonant.

 /3:/(bird) takes on a fronter, more rounded quality.

 /ae/(bat) has split into two distinct phonemes; whereas lad, can (i can do it), bat have a
short vowel, bad,can (tin can), rag have a long one. Gone takes on a peculiar quality:
whereas all other/c:/(born,saw) became (O) and all /a/ (hot) became [c],gone stayed
as[c].

 For many speakers in southern Australia, pull and pool are merged in position, that is the
quality distinction is lost, pull is pronounced [p] and pool is pronounced [pu] but they’re
not usually pronounced the same. Some people believe that when hearing south
Australians pronounced these words, pronounce them the same, when in fact they are
not pronounced the same. Pairs like pull/pool, full/fool, etc are distinguished only in length
by these speakers.

 For some speakers in the eastern states, pool and school are sometimes pronounces
/p u:eI/ and /sku:el/ respectively.

 ed and es endings are pronounced with /ed/ and /ez/,instead of/Id/ and /Iz/ which is how
they are pronounced in British Received Pronunciation and in North American English.

 There is a significant rising and fronting on-glide in/i:/ (also a feature of New Zealand
English)
 35

 For some speakers, there’s a split in the le/phoneme that causes bred and bread to be
distinguished as / bred/ and /bre:d/. Bread rhymes with aired /e;d/ for these speakers.

 Unlike in New Zealand English, the distinction between beer and bear, cheer and chair,
etc is preserved in Australian English.

 In Western Australia. beer becomes a two- syllable word, rhyming with seer.

 The /I/ sound in Australia” may be elided: it become “Austray -yah”

 The distinction between the triphthong /aee/and the two – syllable sequence /ae.e/ as in
hire and higher is lost in Australian English. Both are pronounced with the two syllable
sequence /ae.e/

Do You Know V

Make corrections if necessary

1. The vowels are generally pronounced lower down in the mouth than their English
counterparts

2. –ed and –es ending are pronounced with f/ Id/ and /Iz/as in RP

3. /3:/ (bird) takes on a fronter, more rounded quality

4. The distinction between beer and bear, cheer and chair, etc is not preserved in Australian
English

5. In Western Australia, beer becomes a two-syllable word, rhyming with seer

Consonants

Consonants used in Australian English are similar to those used in the other English
dialects. The consonants used are given below in IPA,with the X-SAMPA equivalent in round
brackets.

Plosives/stops :

Fricative :
36

Affricates :

Nasals :

Semivowels :

Liquids :

 The distinction between /w/and /m/ as in wine and whien,witch and which, etc is Lost in
Australian English.

 H-dropping was historically present in many varieties of Australian Englsh,but it is Mostly

gone in present Australian English.

Allophones

There are many allophones in Australian English. For example

 “Noeline’s note”

(IPA)

(SAMPA)

 “A pood;e fell in a pool”

(IPA)

(SAMPA)

Other phonological phenomena

Another distinguishing character of Australian English, though found in restricted varieties

(particularly Broad) are rich with elision and assimilation. Very often, many sounds are elided
such that it can seem that an entire sentence has been contracted into a single drawing word.
However, words are not somehome “more separated” on other dialects in any phonetic sense.
“How are you travelling? “ might be rendered as “Ayatravlin ? Similarly, it’s going to rain’ may
be heard as “Scone rine.” For this reason, Broard Australian can pose enormous difficulties in
comprehending to non-Australian.
 37

This truncated language is sometimes referred to as “Strine. “A self-referential contraction

of Australian” became famous in the 1965 book “Let Stalk Strine “ (that is “Let’s Talk Australian”)

Myths about Australian accents

Australian English is generally described as high-pitched, nasal, lazy, or drawling The

charges of high pitch and nasality are not entirely accepted to be true, as many Australian
English speakers assert that much of American English is nasal, while laziness and drawling
are not quite possible to test objectively. For the sake of contention, the tendency for Australians
to turn pure vowels into diphthongs demands greater effort from the speech organs.

Likewise, the ridiculing of the Australian accent predominantly by the native speakers of
English and other too sometimes, for its supposed “questioning intonation,” known in linguistics
as ‘high rising tone’, cannot be entirely justified. Many Australian speech patterns do not conform
to this stereotype, and the questioning intonation “ is often found in many regional speech
patterns in the south of England, Northern Ireland, and in some American ones as well.

Do You Know VI

Choose the best answer

1. The distinction between /w/ and /?/ as in whine,which and which, etc. (is clear, is rare, is
lost) in Australian English __________

2. “A poodle fell in a pool” is an example for (affricates, allophones, isotopes) __________

3. “Scona rine” refers to ( a kind of wine. Australian,its gonna rain) ____________

4. (RP, Australian English, American English) is generally described as high-pitched, nasal,

lazy, or drawling ____________

9.3.4 Features of Indian English

Five perceptible phonetic and phonological features of Indian English are generally
identified.

1. Absence of aspiration in the word-initial position. Words such as pin and police are
pronounced as pin and police and not pin and police, respectively;
38

2. Retroflexion. Alveolar consonants: t, and are typically replaced by their corresponding

Retroflex consonants (T,D) as a direct result of the native vernacular influence, Therefore,
alveolar t and d in the name of the months such as October, September and December
are pronounced as voiced alveolar stops, respectively:

3. Absence of interdentals: words such as ‘thing’ and ‘that’ are pronounced with corresponding
unvoiced and voiced alveolar stops, respectively:

4. Some Fricatives are replaced by bilabials(fail is pronounced as phail); and

5. Pronunciation: Indian English pronunciation is a comparatively close approximation to

the written form. The letter is r is retroflexed and stressed, no matter where it occurs, s in
world which is pronounced as world.

The stress and intonation system of Indian English differs greatly from British or American
English. The rhythm of Indian English depends on long and short syllables rather than on
stressed syllables. Therefore, Indian English can be described as a syllable- time’ language
consisting of sing-song characteristics.

The Indian way of speaking is also different from either British or American English. Its
discourse style can best be chatacterized as indirect. ;Rather than using the offensive word,
rape, Indians would phrase it as: outraging the modesty of girls and thus euphemistic style is
most common. As Kachru points out “directness in presenting the point, very little stylistic
ornamentation, and emphasis on the information content “are not prerequisites of Indian English.
Furthermore, Indian code*mixes with Indian languages (e.g. Hindi) quite often.

Differences pointed out in the preceding paragraphs contribute enormously to the

misunderstandings in cross- cultural and cross-national communication. A very interesting points
is that some times the cross – cultural misunderstanding can emerge out of rather simple
expressions such the way of saying “yes”, a sure instance for complications in comprehension
resulting in a failure to understand. The use of ‘yes’ in Indian English has manifold meanings.
Similarly the non –verbal conventions of expressing ‘yes’ is different in Indian English and they
can be a potential source of confusion between the speakers of the native varieties of English,
and Indian English.
 39

Do You Know VII

Give example for the following

1. Absence of aspiration in the word-initial position

2. Alveolar consonants: t, and d

3. The letter r is retroflexed and stressed

4. The offensive word, rape.

4.4 Do it Yourself

Answer the following questions yourself. Key is not provided to these questions as you
are expected to check your answers by consulting the text of this unit.

1. Why were the settlers in the interior part of America able to retain their original accent?

2. What is Noah Webster’s contribution to the American English?

3. Give example of a few changes in the pronunciation of vowels in Australian English.

4. How does the Australian consonant differ from RP?

5. Elaborate on the confusion created by ‘Yes’ in Indian English.

4.5 Recap

 In several ways, American English is conservative in its phonology in comparison to

British English.

 Certain rural areas in North America speak “Elizabethan English”

 Rhoticity was further enhanced and supported by Hiberno-English, Scottish English, and
West country English

 North American English has undergone some sound changes not found in Britain, at
least not in standard varieties

 Australian accents consists of 24 consonants and 20vowels

40

 There are many similarities between the Australian and New Zealand Vowel systems

 Consonants used in Australian English are similar to those used in the other English

 Another distinguishing character of Australian English, though found in restricted varieties

(particularly Broad), is that it is rich with elision and assimilation

 The truncated language is sometimes referred to as “strine” a self-referential contraction

of ‘Australian,” which became famous in the 1965 book “Let stalk strine” (that is “Let’s
Talk Australian”)

 Australian English is generally described as high-pitched, nasal, lazy, or drawing

 Five perceptible phonetic and phonological features of Indian English are generally
identified

 Absence of aspiration in the word-initial position

 Retroflexion

 Absence of Interdentals

 Fricatives are replaced by bilabials

 Pronunciation is a comparatively close approximation to the written form

 The stress and intonation system of Indian English differs greatly from British

4.6 Activities
1. Listen to the BBC,CCN, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and All india Radio to
understand the differences in accents in a practical manner.

2. Try and find out other dialects of English such as creole (Caribbean English), European
English etc. and study their variations.
 41

4.7 Check Your Answer

Do You Know I
1. Elizabethan English

2. The East Coast speech

3. rhotic

4. retroflex semivowel

5. /b a O/ , /d aens/

Do You Know II
1. Father and bother

2. Cot and caught

3. Cure, pure and sure rhyme with fir

4. New, duke

5. Ladder and latter

Do You know III

1. by Noah Webster in 1828

2. spelling and grammar

3. many spelling reforms

Do You Know IV
1. i:

2. ae

3. D

4. O:

5. aeI

6. au
42

Do You Know V
1. higher up

2. /ed/ and /ez/

3. No corrections

4. Is preserved in Australian English

5. No corrections

Do You Know VI
1. Is lost in Australian English

2. Allophones

3. Its going to rain

4. Australian

Do You Know VII

1. Pin, police

2. October, September

3. World

4. Outraging the modesty of girls

4.8 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in about 50 words

1. What are the major features of Indian English ?

2. What is the myth about Australian accent?

Answer the following questions in about 200 words

1. Explain in detail the features of American English.

2. How would you distinguish between RP and Australian accent?

 43

LESSON 5
LISTENING TO ANNOUNCEMENTS

5.1 Introduction

Listening is easily the most challenging of all linguistic skills. In the earlier units you must
have had a fairly good idea of what listening as a skill demands and the varieties of listening.
In this unit we shall focus specifically on listening to announcements as this demands a certain
amount of concentrated, attentive and focussed skill in listening.

5.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 Highlight the significance of announcements

 List its main features

 Distinguish between announcements and other public orations

Plan of study
5.1 Introduction

5.2 Objectives

5.3.1 Listening – a News, Speeches and Announcements

5.3.3 Characteristic Features of Announcements

5.3.4 Factors Governing Listening

5.4 Recap

5.5 Activities

5.6 Check Your Answer

5.7 Model Questions

44

5.3.1 Listening- a Linguistic Skill

Of all the linguistic skills, listening is the most unpredictable and hence the most demanding
as well. The human mind, on an average cannot concentrate for more than around twenty to
thirty minutes at a stretch. Therefore anything that is conveyed for more than this period may
not evoke a positive response from the listener. Besides, we must make a distinction between
hearing and listening. The former is merely exercising our auditory senses. The latter requires
cooperation from the brain in order to understand the message that has been said. This apart,
we need not necessarily retain what we have heard. But we must, as a rule, retain and constantly
recall what we have listened to. Our oral tradition of learning suggests that this skill was given
supreme importance in the days of yore. The learner had to retain absolute focus on his teacher
at a time when writing or printing were not in existence. The fact that the two great epics have
survived over several millennia is ample proof to the point. Thus though listening cannot be
totally learnt or taught as skill (but has be cultivated or imbibed), it nevertheless is a prerequisite
for any learning situation.

5.3.2 Listening to news, speeches and Announcements

Listening as a skill is largely dependents on the situation. For example, listening to news
demands a completely different competences than listening to speeches. While listening to
news we are concerned with selective aspects of the information. We need not remain thoroughly
focussed on the issue. We can pay attention to only those that we are interested in. Besides
news gets repeated almost immediately, in the form of a recap of the headlines. We may also
get the same piece of information in the dailies, weeklies and fortnightlies and so on. Hence it
does not demand great attentiveness from the listener.

Listening to speeches calls for another type of skill. Speeches are generally long. The
information is first given elaborately with several related illustrations, dwelt upon at length and
finally wound up or summarized at the end. Here focus on the main aspect of the speech is
essential. Though it is not advisable to wander away lest we would lose some vital information,
slight deviation of our attention cannot be totally avoided. Our complete focus of attention
depends largely on the speaker and his ability to hold the audience spell lound.
 45

Listening to announcements, on the other hand, lays emphasis on unmitigated

concentration on what is said. The main reason for this is the fact that announcements may not
be repeated often and the details are crisp and concise. We shall deal with the features of
announcements in the next section.

Announcement are given for specific purposes generally in times of urgency and
emergency. Another aspect of announcements which differs from the other two is the fact that
the announcer may not be seen by the listener at all. This is also crucial as we tend to look at
the speaker or the news reader while listening to them. Eye contact plays a seminal role in
retaining what we have listened to. A complete absence of the speaker from our view convey
that we have to be doubly focussed while listening to announcements. Another aspect that
craves our attention is that not all those who are present in the scene, where the announcement
is made, actually listen to it. They are given only to a select few who need the information.
Therefore we may not even be in a position to collect information from those around us if we
have missed it. We shall understand the concepts with an illustration later in the unit.

Do You Know I

Fill in the Blanks

1. Listening skills is largely dependent ______________

2. Our complete focus of attention depends largely _______________________ and his

ability to hold __________________

3. __________________ are given for specific purposes generally in times of urgency and
emergency.

4. Not all those who are present in the scene where the announcement is made
__________________

5. Therefore we may not even be in a position to _______________ from those around us

if we have missed some.

5.3.3 Characteristics Features of an Announcements

As suggested earlier, announcements are made in times of absolute need. Depending

on the kind of announcement it may pertain only to a select set of listeners or the entire gathering.
Hence announcements fall into three main categories :
46

 Announcements at railway stations

 Announcements on informal occasions

 Announcements on solemn occasions

Announcements at the Railway station

A railway announcement goes something like this: (The Station is Nagpur Central) Your
Attention Please! Train No.2622 Chennai –New Delhi Grand Trunk Express Will arrive shortly
on Platform No.3.

Lets us now analyse this announcement.

This announcement makes little sense to the following people

 For a passenger inside another train

 For people in the other platforms

 For the many vendors in the platform

This announcement is essential for the following people

 People waiting to board the train

 People waiting to receive passengers travelling in that train who will alight at this station.

 Porters, mobile vendors ticket collectors, cargo loaders and others for whom the arrival
of the train is of vital importance.

From, this we understand that though the announcement is made for the entire public, it
evokes a response from only a select group of listeners. Even those people for whom this
announcement is of little use would have heard it but may not have heeded it.

Another vital feature involved here is the shared knowledge in this information. On the
one hand, we have what can be termed as assumed knowledge. The name of the station, the
city, etc. do not find a place in the announcement. It is assumed or even taken for granted that
 47

the listeners are aware of these details. A formal greeting, words of welcome, humorous
expressions are also conspicuously absent. They serve no purpose here and hence are clearly
avoided. Announcements of this category are usually terse and to the point, consisting of not
more than 30 to 40 words.

If on the other hand. the announcement needs to include every detail then it would look
something like this:

On this day, the 20th of the September,2005 at 5.05. a.m at the Central station of Nagpur,
we are pleased to announce the timely arrival of Train No. 2622 Chennai New Delhi Grand
Trunk Express, on the way to New Delhi on platform No.2. We extend a very warm welcome to
the passengers alighting at this station from the train. We also extend our hearty wishes for a
happy journey to all the passengers boarding the train. Thank you and Good Bye.

A classic example of an irrelevant announcement.

Do You Know II

State whether the following are true or false

1. For a passenger inside another train, the announcement made in the station makes little
sense. ______________

2. The name of the station, the city, etc certainly find a place in the announcement
_______________

3. It is assumed or even taken for granted that the listeners are not aware of these details
______________

4. Announcements of this category are usually terse and to the point and consists o not
more than 30 to 40 words.

Announcements made on informal occasions

Announcements at public functions and public gatherings serve a larger purpose as they
are intended generally for everyone assembled there. Besides they convey a certain message
of immediate importance. Usually the announcer will be seen unless it is an intercom
announcement where the speaker is not seen. As all the speakers would pay attention to it,
48

one can get the information from the other listeners as well. Such Public Announcements are
also repeated quite a few times for better reachability. Humorous in tone, requests in the form
of long winding announcements are also possible if they are made by the compere of the
programme. Public announcements on informal occasions do not adhere to any strict rules.

Sometimes announcements are made in places like fairs and exhibitions regarding
programmes to be staged or games that are likely to be played or results of the game played.
In all these instances, only those involved in the situation pay attention to it.

Announcements in times or cases of emergency are repeated as often as possible. As

when somebody is missing or an object whose ownership in not known is found and many
more, here again, only people who are anxious about these belongings or those who have
found an unknown property are attentive. The others do hear the words but do not entirely
involve themselves with the matter.

Announcements made in banks and shops are highly contextual. When the cashier in a
bank calls the token number of a particular cheque, only those who are waiting to encash their
cheques understand the figures said by the cashier. For example year, (i) time of some reference
(ii) the amount of money (iii) lastly the token number of the cheque. Hence these announcement
are directed towards a particular group for a very specific purpose.

Television and Radio Programmes are constantly announced to remind the viewer/listeners
about their telecast/broadcast. These announcement are also extremely brief. Apart from their
visual representation, much is conveyed through the spoken word.

Announcement on solemn occasions

As these occasions demand a certain decorum, announcements are made strictly adhering
to the rules. Hence they are terse and to the point. Absolute silence is maintained in the venue
so that everybody can follow clearly as to what is being announced. The tone is serious and the
announcer is cautious not to make errors or fumble as (s)he speaks. Whatever be the rules of
the announcement, grammatical rules are consistently flouted in order to achieve crispness in
the communication. The ideas are conveyed in a telegraphic manner.
 49

Do You Know III

Make corrections if necessary

1. Announcements in public functions and public gatherings serve a larger purpose as it is
intended generally for a few assembled there.

2. As all the speakers would pay attention to it, one can get the information from the other
listeners as well

3. Public announcement on informal occasions adhere to strict rules

4. Announcements in times or cases of emergency are repeated as often as possible

5. Announcements made in the Market places are highly contextual

6. Absolute silence is maintained at the venue of an informal function

5. The ideas are conveyed in a descriptive manner for a formal announcement

5.3.4 Factors Governing Listening

Several aspects determine perfection in listening to an announcement. Firstly there are

these noise factors. For instance, at the railway station even as the announcement is in progress,
we may have another train blowing its whistle indicating departure. There may be the television
with its programmes that are loud enough to make the announcements inaudible. The
passengers both inside the train and waiting on the platform generally talk lundly to counter the
already noisy atmosphere. These are some of the external impediments to listening to
announcements.

The voice of the announcer has to necessarily match the amplification of the microphone.
There has to be clarity in expression, voice modulation, pronunciation, pause, intonation and
other phonological features so as to make the announcement clear and comprehensible.
Above all, the announcement can have any meaning at all only if the information given
corresponds to facts and no mistakes are made in the process.

In modern times, another factor, more from the angle of the listener is a serious hindrance
to concentrated listening. The culprit referred to here is the cell phone and that this may distract
the listener is indeed a notable factor. Heavy traffic, blowing horns continuously is another
50

serious factor to reckon with. During festive seasons, loud music is played right through the
day, disturbing the freedom to listen to the news in peace.

Do You Know IV
1. For instance at the railway station even as the announcement is in progress we many
Have another train _____________

2. The passengers both inside the train and writing in the platform generally talk aloud
_____________

3. There has to be clarity in expression, voice modulation, pronunciation, pause, intonation

and other phonological features so as to __________

4. During festive seasons, load music is played right through the day disturbing the
__________

Check Your Progress

1. How would you define an announcement?

2. What do you know about announcement on formal functions ?

3. Mention a few factors that are detrimental to listening.

 51

4. How would a stranger react to announcement in a bank ?

5. How do you distinguish between announcements and speeches ?

5.4 Recap

 Of all the linguistic is the most unpredictable and hence the most demanding as well

 We must make a distinction between hearing and listening

 Our oral tradition of learning suggests that this skill was given primacy in the days of yore

 While listening to news, we are concerned with selective aspects of the information

 Here focus on the main aspect of the speech is essential

 Listening to announcements, on the other hand lays emphasis on unmitigated

concentration on what is said

 Announcement are given for specific purpose generally in times of urgency and emergency

 Eye contact plays a crucial role in retaining what we have listened to. We have, what can
be termed, assumed knowledge

 The name of the station, the city, etc. do not find a place in an announcement

 Usually the announcer will be seen unless it is an intercom announcement, where the
speaker is not seen
52

 Announcement in times or cases of emergency are repeated as often as possible

 The ideas are conveyed in a telegraphic manner

 There has to be clarity in expression, voice modulation, pronunciation, pause, intonation

and other phonological features so as to make the announcement clear and
comprehensible

5.5 Activities
1. How will you give a public announcement for warning people against Tsunami?

2. Imagine you are at the airport. Give a possible announcement regarding the Arrival/
Departure of an aircraft.

5.6 Check Your Answers

Do You Know I
1. On the situation

2. On the speaker

3. the audience spell bound

4. announcements

5. actually listen to it

Do You know II

1. True 2. False 3. False 4. True

Do You Know III

1. everyone

2. no corrections

3. do not adhere

4. banks and shops

 53

5. solemn

6. telegraphic

Do You Know IV
1. blowing its whistle indicating departure

2. to counter the already noisy atmosphere

3. make the announcement clear and comprehensible

4. freedom to listen to the news in peace

5.7 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in about 50 words

1. What are the main features of a formal announcement?

2. How is an announcement made in bank and shops different from the ones in a fair?

Answer the following questions in about 200 words

1. Bring out the main features of announcement at a Railway Station.

2. Elaborate on the factor that contribute to improper listening to announcements.

54

LESSON 6
LISTENING TO NEWS – RADIO & TV

6.1 Introduction

Listening to the news has become an important skill. It helps in acquiring better language.
Listening to news has to be done in a systematic manner because we usually listen to news
passively. This unit will help you to become active listeners of news by introducing you to the
main listening patterns on radio and television. This unit evaluate the manner in which we listen
to news. Our perception of radio and television news and the future of the public’s perception
of news on the radio is discussed. This unit also compares radio news today with available
benchmarks and considers what radio news might become in the future.

6.2 Objectives
After reading this unit, you will be able to

 recognize the main features of a news presentation

 enumerate the main features of a news programme

 explain the uses of Radio/Television news today

 compare Radio/Television with other news media

 list constrains of Radio and Television

Plan of Study
6.1 Introduction

6.2 Objectives

6.3.1 The Importance of Listening to News

6.3.2 Common Broadcast Formals

6.3.3 Features of a News Report

6.3.4 How to Listen to the Radio

6.3.5 How to Listen to the Tv

 55

6.3.6 Constraints of the Radio

6.3.7 Constraints of the Tv

6.4 Recap

6.5 Activities

6.6 Key Words

6.7 Check Your Answer

6.8 Model Questions

6.3.1 The Importance of Listening to News

Listening to the news has now become a skill as it helps improve our spoken skills. If we
have be good speakers then we have to be good listeners. Listening to the news also gives us
wide exposure and we acquire the confidence to face interviews and other audiences. We are
going to evaluate the importance of listening to the news on radio and Television.

News has become a part of life. We have to find out where the news fits into our life. To
explore this, we have to keep in mind the specific types of news and definition of news. A
majority of listeners listen to news everyday. Others follow the news for four or five or five days
a week. However with the increase in the number of television and radio channels, the listening
patterns have changed. Listeners have started looking at the news not just in the form of
reports which are broadcasted/telecasted every half an hour. They now also consider talk
shows and discussions in which they (the listeners) can actively participate.

6.3.2 Common Broadcast Formats

News :News bulletins are an important part of the daily output of most radio and TV
stations. Local radio stations usually broadcast local news.

Spot announcements: These can be public service announcements such as the opening
of major events (fairs and exhibitions), immunisation programmes etc.

Slogans and jingles : Slogans are catchy, short sentences designed to attract attention.
They are usually based on well-known sayings or rhymes. They can identify a campaign.
Slogans set to music are called jingles.
56

Discussions: The most commonly used format on radio is the ‘group’ ‘or’ round table
‘discussion. In it, a group of people having different opinions and possibly from different
backgrounds discuss a subject under a chairperson’s guidance.

‘Phone-in ’programmes: In this type of programme, listeners call the studio either ‘live’
or ‘off air’ and share their views, ask questions or request advice.

Interviews: Interview involve a discussion set out in question and answer from between
the broadcaster and one (or two) interviews. When interviews are used to obtain opinions from
common people then it is called ‘vox pop’

Talks and documentaries: A 5-15 minute talk by one person can provide the viewer/
listener with a lot of information . Documentaries explore a single topic in some detail and give
information by filming real-life situations.

Music: Music is an essential part of broadcasting whether it is traditional music, popular

local music, musical jingles or background music for programmes. It attracts people to watch
and listen. Jingles or songs with a message can become very popular and people will sing
them and remember the message.

Quizzes and panel games: Quizzes among a panel of guests are popular and most
people, watching or listening, try to answer the question themselves and learn something from
the answers.

Magazine programmes: This format combines different elements like music, drama,
story sketches, interviews, comedy, and discussion. They are linked by a presenter and may
be aimed at a particular audience such as women, farmers or young people.

Do You Know
1. Name at least three broadcast formats

2. Immunisation programmes can be announced in ___________ format.

 57

3. Define a slogan.

4. Jingles is slogan set to music. True/False

5. What happens in a phone –in programme?

6. What is ‘Vox’ pop?

7. Where can we present the filming of real life situation?

8. What is the function of music in broadcast?

9. What does the format of a Magazine programme combine?

6.3.3 Features of News Report

A News presentation has a structure which can be universally applied to any language.
The structure can be divided into the following segments.

The newsreader usually welcomes the listeners/viewers and then reads out the headlines.
The headlines can be defined as one-line summaries of what is going to be introduced in detail
later in the News. The headlines evoke the interest of the listeners and ensures that the listener/
viewer is a participant in the news. The headlines usually introduce us to five major areas
namely – Topic of the day, Politics, International Affairs, Business and Sports. Each section
usually takes five minutes to present. A section is given more time if it is important and relevant.
The sequence of presentation can change from channel to channel.

The Weather Report has become an important part of the news and is presented towards
the end of the news presentation (before the recap of the headlines). The weather report gives
58

the listener/ viewer information on the weather conditions, so that the following day can be
planned properly. The 24 hour news channels now have a feature called “breaking news”

Do You Know
10. What structure does a news presentation have ?

11. What is he feature of a news presentation?

12. How can we define headlines?

13. What information does the headlines give to the listener?

14. Name the areas that the headlines introduces us to.

15. How much time does each section take to present ?

16. How does the sequences of presentation changes?

17. When is the weather report presented?

18. What des the weather report give to the listener?

19. What added feature does the news channels have now?
 59

6.3.4. How to Listen to the Radio

Radio is the most widely available news medium in the world. It is portable, inexpensive
ad easy to use. Our life has become very hectic and hence radio remains the ultimate hands-
free news –and – information medium. Although its share as a source falls below that of other
media, radio maintains a steady presence as a source of most news during the day. The
context of the radio and recently of the wind up radio ( invented by Trevor Baylis ) has
revolutionized information diffusion in far flung places in India and Africa.

We can listen to the radio right from the time we wake up in the morning until dinner.
Since no visuals accompany any presentation on a radio, the concentration level of the listener
is better .Listening to the radio is a good method of internalizing structures. Make a note of the
sentences that commonly occur in a radio news report and practice them in your free time. You
need not find the grammatical explanation of the structures that are used in a radio programme.
Now compare these with the structure that are used in emergency situations like weather and
breaking events.

radio is competitive with both local and national TV channels for providing a lively
exchanges of opinions on issues. In fact, more people today are turning to radio first for lively
exchanges of opinions on issues than they did ten years ago. This increase is because of the
introduction of dial-in shows. Try to call the radio station over the phone and express your
opinion on the topic which is being discussed. The common thread for the radio is that the
human voice is combined with the sounds of the news. Therefore the radio remains a powerful
and effective way of informing and serving the audience

Do You Know
20. Which is the most widely available news medium in the world?

21. What are the advantages of the Radio?

22. The Radio is a ______________ medium.

60

23. What has revolutionized information diffusion in far flung places in India and Africa?

24. Why is the level of concentration of the listener better when listening to the Radio?

25. What should you make a note of while listening to Radio New report?

26. What should you compare while listening to a Radio Programme?

27. Why are more people tuning in to the Radio now then yen years earlier?

28. What is the common thread for the Radio?

6.3.5 How to Listen to the Television

Television is an extremely powerful tool which reaches over two billion homes across the
world and has an enormous impact on us. You will observe that the language that is used on
mainstream television by news broadcasters is very simple. One reason for this is the fact that
people watching a television news programme only see it once. Furthermore, in comparison to
the Radio, the visuals can add the necessary explanation.

Another reason for the simplicity of television language is that it has to correspond to the
images portrayed. The element of sensationalism is also present. You will observe that the
concentration level while watching television will usually be lower than when you listen to Radio.
Sensationalism help in keeping the interest of the viewer alive.

You may compare the language used normally on TV to that which is used in an in-depth
news show (they use more sophisticated language.) Observe the picture that accompany a
television news report. Try to find the kind of explanation that the pictures provide to the news
report. Again you will see that this combination of sight, sound, motion, and emotion have an
effect on the language which remains very basic.
 61

Do You Know
29. How powerful I television

30. What kind of language I used in television?

31. The people watching a television programme see it _____________

32. What adds the explanation in a television programme?

33. What is the other reason for the simplicity of the television language?

34. What combination in television makes the language basic?

6.3.6 Constraints of the Radio

In the media mix, radio has earned the reputation of being the odd step –cousin .One of
the constrains of the radio is that in surveys and other tracking methods, radio tends to be the
one with dismal scores. That is because the radio works on a subconscious or unconscious
level. People remember the name of the programme but not what they heard on the radio.
Since the radio is confined to a local audience, a broader world view is not possible.

There are constrains for people who advertise on the radio. It turn out to be expensive
since they have to buy more spots on the radio. Hearing the voice makes the listener feel as if
they know you, but a better rapport is maintained on television since the viewer can see the
news presenter. Apart from these psychological aspects, the loyalty of a listener is towards one
station thus restricting in many ways the variety in language learning methodologies of the
listeners. Although radio is the more objective of the two media, it tends to be in the background
which means it tends to be ignored. The lack of visuals again keeps the radio from “sticking”
with people. It is impossible to know exactly how many people are tuning in at any given time.
62

Do You Know
35. What happens in surveys and other tracking methods?

36. The radio works on the ____________ level.

37. What do people remember when it comes to Radio?

38. What kind of view is not possible on Radio?

39. What are the constrains of people who advertise on Radio?

40. Where is a better rapport maintained ?

41. Where is the loyalty of a listener?

42. What is impossible to find out on the Radio?

6.3.7 Constraints of the Television

Television has revolutionized our world in many ways. Its has enable people to see live
footage from down the street, or from across the globe. It can be a tool for learning, or a means
of entertainment. While television is an amazing and wonderful tool to have, there are many
constraints to television as a media outlet.

One constraint with television is that you cannot have discourse without images. While it
is always possible today to produce some sort of image for a news programme, often it is
wanting in quality and quality. This leads to another constraint, which is that of the availability of
images and pictures. Because many television stations do not have the financial resources to
 63

send out their own crews to different locations (either nationally, or most often internationally).
news programmes often have the same sources where from they get their images. This can
lead to a narrowing of programming choices for viewers when all the stations show the same
pictures and share similar stories.

Another constraint is time: The format of television is such that the time available to
report on situation is very limited. Due to this, while television can provide information regarding
a current crisis or conflict, it fails to go to the root of the problem. Television journalists also
assume that people simply aren’t interested in detailed explanations of the root causes of war,
conflict, and crises.

Pacing in television newscasts: The pace of newscast i.e. the rapidity with which
images or shots are shown is related to the comprehension and memory of the information
among the viewers. The piece can be manipulated and the perspective of the viewers can be
changed.

Visual bias and other factors: One last and very important constraint of television is
that of the concepts of “ truth and “ reality.” Television often does not provide the whole truth or
the entire reality of a situation. One main reason for this is that the mere presence of a camera
usually makes people act differently in situations, especially when they realise that they are
being filmed. In addition, some journalists cross the boundaries of ethics in reporting by
“cheating” and using images that are not related to the story.

The reason that television is by far the most utilized source of news media is not due to
the fact that it provides the best news, but because television is the easiest and most convenient
way to obtain news.

Do You Know
43. What has Television enabled us to do ?

44. In Television there cannot be discourses without ——————————-

45. What is not freely available ?

64

46. What happens when Television Stations share images?

47. What happens due to the constraint of time?

48. What do Television journalists assume?

49. What do we understand by the term “ peace of the Television newscast?”

50. What are the two factors that come under visual bias?

51. What is the reason behind this visual blas?

52. In what way do the Television journalists cheat ?

53. Television is the ———————— and the ——————— way to obtain news.

Check Your Progress

1. What are the common broadcast formats adopted in Television and Radio ?

2. What are the features of a news report ?

 65

3. How should we listen to Radio ?

4. How should we listen to Television?

6.4 Recap

 In this unit we learnt how to listen to the news

 Listening to news has become an integral part of our lives

 We first saw the basic feature of a news broadcast

 We then saw the salient features of a news presentation

 We then learnt how to listen to the news on radio and Television and how to become
active listeners. We also learnt How to observe the structures used in both the media

 We then saw the constrains of Television and radio and concluded that radio is more
localized and more objective in its presentation while Television is the easiest and most
convenient way to obtain news.

6.5 Activities
1. Listen to a cookery show on radio and Television and compare the manner in which it is
presented. What form of the verb is predominantly used?

2. After listening and observing programmes on radio and Television, Which medium would
you prefer to spread a message for public welfare? Give your comment based on what
you have observed in the society around you.
66

6.6 Key World

1. Acquire - learn

2. Passive - inactive

3. perception - Understanding

4. benchmark - standard

5. explore - look at

6. format - style or manner

7. sensationalism - being sensational, to cause great excitement

8. discourse - speech

6.7 Check Your Answers

Do You know
1. News Spot announcements and Phone-in programmes.

2. Spot announcement

3. A Slogan is a catchy, Short sentence designed to attract attention.

4. True

5. In a phone- in programme listeners call the studio and give their views, ask questions or
request advice.

6. When interviews are used to get opinions from the common man then it is called’vox pop”

7. Filming of real life situations can take place in documentaries.

8. Music attracts people to watch and listen.

9. A Magazine programme combines music, drama, stories, sketches ,interviews, comedy,

and discussion.

10. A news presentation has a structure which can be universally applied to any language.

11. The headlines

12. The headlines is a one-line summary of what is going to be introduced in detail later.
 67

13. The headlines evokes the interest of the listener and makes him a participant in the news.

14. Topic of the day. Politics, international Affairs, Business and sports

15. Each section usually takes five minutes to present

16. The sequence of presentation can change from channel to channel.

17. The weather report presented towards the end of he News presentation.

18. The weather report gives the listener the scope for planning the next day.

19. The news channels have the added feature called “breaking news”

20. Radio is the most widely available news medium in the world.

21. A Radio is portable, inexpensive and easy to use.

22. Hands-free news-and-information diffusion

23. The wind up radio has revolutionized information in far flung places in India and Africa

24. The level of concentration of the listener is better when listening to the radio because of
the lack of visuals.

25. We should make a note of the sentences that commonly occur in a Radio news report.

26. We compare the structure used in emergency situations like weather and breaking events.

27. More people are tuning in to radio for a lively exchange of opinions on issues.

28. The common thread for the radio is that the human voice is combined with the sounds of
news.

29. Television is a powerful tool which reaches two billion homes across the world.

30. The kind of language used in television is very simple.

31. Once

32. The visuals add the necessary explanation in a Television programme.

33. The other reason for the simplicity of the Television language is the images portrayed.

34. A combination of sight, sound, motion, and makes Television language basic.

35. In a surveys and other tracking methods, radio tends to be the one with the dismal. score.
68

36. Subconscious or unconscious

37. People remember the name of the programme but not what they heard on the Radio.

38. A broader world views is not possible on Radio.

39. Advertisers are forced to buy more spots.

40. A better rapport is maintained in Television since the viewer can see the new presenter.

41. The loyalty of a listener is towards one station.

42. It’s impossible to know exactly how many people are tuning in at any given time.

43. Television has enabled us to see live footage.

44. Images

45. Images and pictures are not freely available.

46. When Television Stations share images there is a narrowing of programming choice.

47. Television journalists fail to go to the roots of the problem.

48. They assume that viewers aren’t interested in detailed explanations of the root caused of
war, conflict, and crises.

49. The pace of a newscast is the rapidity with which images or shots are shown.

50. Truth and reality come under visual bias.

51. People tend to act differently when a camera focuses on them.

52. Television journalists cheat by showing images that are not related to the story.

53. Easiest, most convenient

6.8 Model Questions

1. What are the differences in listening to Radio and Television? (100 words)

2. What are the constraints of Radio and Television ? (200 words)

 69

LESSON 7
LISTENING TO SPEECHES

7.1 Introduction

Listening is the most important skill in the process of learning and yet it is the most
neglected skill in the classroom. We generally tend to assume that listening is a skill that
comes automatically to us and that no special training is actually required to acquire this skill.
Our expository methods of teaching should hardly suffice in the process. However the previous
units must have discussed the various aspects of this skill and by now you are sure about the
major type and sub skills of listening. In this unit, we will introduce you to the requirements for
listening to educational, political, social and religious speeches.

7.1 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 Distinguish the different kinds of speeches

 Explain the different orientations of speeches

 Enumerate the details of speeches

Plan of Study
7.1 Introduction

7.2 Objectives

7.3.1 Listening skill and speeches

7.3.2 Listening to Educational Speeches

7.3.3 Listening to Political Speeches

7.3.4 Listening to Social Speeches

7.3.5 Listening to Religious Speeches

7.4 Recap
70

7.5 Activities

7.6 Check Your Answers

7.7 Model Questions

7.3.1 Listening skill and speeches

Listening to Educational and Religious Speeches have innate personal preferences and
benefits while Political and Social Speeches can be Community oriented. After completing
this unit, you will possess a better ear for the details while listening to a speech and get your
choices clear.

7.3.2 Listening to Educational Speeches

Most Educational Speeches lay emphasis on guiding the prospective candidate to choose
a discipline that can open up lots avenues in the job market. This is the main content of
educational speeches in recent times. However, apart from guidance, several other areas like
the importance of education, values and ethics, aims and objectives, teacher-centred curriculum,
learner-centred curriculum, collaborative learning and many more areas are covered and
discovered in an emphatic educational speech. Seminars, Symposiums, Conferences and
Workshops also fall under this category.

While listening to an educational speech, we must have at our disposal a piece of paper
and pen to take down the information provided. Very often, we feel we have got it all perfectly
fine as we are listening but when we try to recall, we realize that all the information has
evaporated. Some of the details noted may not have immediate use to us but could help us at
a later date. We must develop an ear for detail for which intense concentration is a vital necessity.
Also don’t forget to note down the name and address of the speaker for future reference.

The tone of an educational speech is of a serious and matter-of-fact type. There is no

actual scope for entertainment, unless the speaker indulges in some light humour. Usually, the
speakers are academicians, industrialists and other professionals. As these speeches are
loaded with information for practical purposes, they have substantial reception from the audience.
This is evident from the fact that long question and query sessions follow the speech.
 71

At seminars and conferences, a kit comprising if a folder, a, letter pad and pens are
usually provided at the venue for the benefit of the participants. Here the theme of the programme
is known in advance and therefore we may make our choice of the paper presentations from
the programme schedule. We must make it mandatory to attend the plenary sessions as they
are presented by some of the most renowned speakers. The kit has to be used extensively to
make necessary notes that are certain to help us in all occasions.

From the above it is pretty clear that this kind of speech calls for intense or focussed
listening where in the listener has to be highly attentive.

Do You Know
1. The tone of an educational speech is ­­­­­­____________

2. While listening to an educational speech, we must have at least a __________

3. The speakers are usually __________ ,____________ and _____________

4. __________,___________ and _____________ also fall under this kind of Speeches.

5. Some of the other topics covered in this kind of speech are___________ ___________,
____________ and __________

7.3.3 Listening to Political Speeches

A political congregation is seldom intended for discussion, but for the “public manifestation
of the strength of those who are of a certain opinion.”It has been for centuries the pride of this
country, and one of its most valued distinctions from the despotically governed countries of the
continent, that a man has the right to speak his mind, on politics or on any other subject, to
those who would listen to him, when and where he will, Stuart Mill.

A good political speech is one that is delivered directly from the speaker’s soul As the
very purpose of a political speech is to be used as an argument or a counter argument, political
Speeches are usually high pitched, powerful both in tone and terms and generally quite lengthy.
As they are essentially aimed at wooing the voters to take their stance, they are charged with
accusations of the opponent, or pride about their achievements, etc. wherein they always
seem to touch upon the extremes. You can see the pride they have in their political loyalties,
72

when they speak of them. You can feel the depth of their love of their nation, their concern for
the society and many ideas depending on the eloquences of the speaker.

Some of the greatest orators of all times, like Winstone Churchill, Abraham Lincoln,
John F. Kennedy, our own Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and in recent times, ‘Cho’ Rameswami,
A.B Vajpayee and many others have left an indelible impression in the minds of the listeners.
Listening to their speeches, we will be overcome by a sublime sense of awe, producing a
response that can be called an amalgamation of respect, enlightenment, information,
entertainment that would create a flutter in our spirits by the sheer power of their words. Some
of their words become famous as great quotations.

A sample is given below.

“Never in the annals of human history have so much been owed by so many To so few”

“Ask not what your country can do for you: Ask what you can do for your Country”

John F.Kennedy

Do You Know
6. Whose words are given at the beginning of this section?

7. How should the tone of a political speech be ?

8. Give the names of some of the greatest orators of all times

9. What kind of a response do these orators evoke through their speeches?

7. Which two great speakers ’words are given in this section ?

 73

On the other hand, much of what the politicians say and what they mean could be
contradictory and this can be deciphered from their tones. A keen and conscious listener will be
able to distinguish between genuine words as against false promises that politicians are know
to voice out. His/her speech will be devoid of facts. Deliberate misinterpretations of both words
and events will be the hallmark of such a speech. The entire speech would sound shallow in
ideas and cannot create an impact on the listeners.

Political speeches are sometimes all too predictable, all too similar. A scripted political
speech where the speaker often stumbles and seems uncomfortable cannot contain a message
delivered from his/her heart. Such a speech would be boring and tired.

As both extremes are possible with a political speech, the listener has to be extremely
careful and cautions about the veracity of their claims. In order to achieve this, it is imperative
that we are abreast of what is happening in the political world by reading the newspapers
regularly. Before we attend a gathering to listen to a speech of this kind, we must have our
home work done. We must know clearly the name of the political party the speaker is associated
with and therefore the stance he/she is likely to take regarding several aspects of the nation’s
progress. Quite a good number of points may be an attack on the opposing contestant or the
party to which the latter belongs. Unless we know the subject matter we may not follow the
speech. Many speakers are gifted with a great sense of humour and ready play with words,
example, by making puns. During the last Indian Parliament elections, ‘Cho’Ramaswamy’s
statement, ‘If the Left has a future in India, then India has no future left’ it is a classic example
of this kind. This also means that we ought to be capable of appreciating the speech as well as
critically analyzing it.

Thus a political speech can sway the people’s mindset completely in the direction the
speaker wants to, if presented in the manner that befits such a response.

Do You Know
11. The political speakers always say what they mean ____________ (True/False)

12. It is possible to distinguish between a genuine speech and a shallow one ________
(True/False)

13. Most renowned speakers are gifted with a good sense of humour __________
(True /False)
74

14. Politicians never attack the opposition ___________ (True/ False)

15. To understand a political speech, we must have a basic knowledge of politics

_____________ (True/False)

7.3.4 Listening to Social Speeches

Social speeches are those that are given to sensitize the listeners on important crucial,
burning social issues. These speeches aim at creating an awareness on many issues that
confront society, and prompting the public to respond appropriately to them. These speeches
may be given at various public meetings and functions and are generally presented by politicians,
social workers, educationists, academicians, scientists, industrialists, and others.

The main focus of these speeches will be to improve the social fabric of the nation and
therefore our response will not be based on our individual choice but on what is beneficial for
society as a whole. This may bring about a clash of loyalty between individuals and the
community. Issues like construction of dams across rivers, deforestation, etc. are some such
demanding problems that need to be addressed with care and concern. It is imperative on our
part to be conscious of our environment for the simple reason that unless our environment is
protected, we cannot live a healthy and happy life.

Other social issues included cultural stability or the lack of it. Many social evils such as
the practice of racism have to be brought into focus. In India dowry child marriages, female
infanticide, child labour etc. have been reported in the very recent past. Social Workers have to
take it upon themselves to educate the masses and eradicate these evils from society.

The main focus of attention in the last two decades or so has been on the rise in the
number of AIDS or HIV positive people. Proper awareness about the dangers of incestuous
relationships. Incest doesn’t causes AIDS unless one of the partners has AIDS. Also incest
usually happens as a form of sexual abuse when certain family members assault or manipulate
their own elatives to do so. This is a separate issue in itself. have to be looked into and this
demands immediate attention. Speeches have to be organized to sensitize the masses. It
would be generally appreciated if every one us could participate in spreading the awareness of
these.
 75

Some of the finest Speakers in this category are, Nelson Mandela who helped in the
restoration of democracy and the abolition of Apartheid in south Africa, M.S. Swaminathan and
his Green Revolution in India, Medha Patkar of the Narmadha Bachao Andolan in Central
India, etc., These are some contemporary social workers who have dedicated themselves to
the betterment of society.

Hence listening to these speeches does not stop with mere listening but lies in the actual
application of the suggestions provided. Carrying forward these suggestions and resolutions
should be the outcome of listening to such speeches. Our education should help in the process
of rebuilding society with all its ethical richness intact, and this is the dire need, of the hour.
Therefore we must make it a point listen to these speeches and serve to restore the rich
tradition and heritage of our culture.

Do You Know
16. Social Speeches are those that are given to sensitize the listeners on the burning social
issues ____________(True/ False)

17. Our response may bring about a clash of loyalty between the nations ________________
(True/ False)

18. Dowry deaths, child marriages, female infanticide, child labour are still prevalent in parts
of India ____________ (True/ False)

19. Nelson Mandela helped in the restoration of democracy and the abolition of Apartheid in
Australia ___________ (True/ False)

20. M.S Swaminathan and Medha Patkar are deeply involved in the welfare of the society
___________ (True/ False)

7.3.5 Listening to Religious Speeches

Religious speeches evoke an ethical response in the listener. The main focus of these
speeches is to convince people of the existence of a superior power beyond human
comprehension. No matter what religion the speaker may belong to he/she would try to inculcate
in the listener the importance of linking religion with one’s way of life. Therefore, religious
speeches have a far more serious significance in one’s life than any other.
76

Religious sermons as they are usually referred, to, are usually overloaded with anecdotes
and references from the scriptures of the religion it refers to. They are presented combining a
narrative lecture, music and dance-drama. Other theatrical forms too are adopted as required.
This is to ensure that even laymen are interested in theological matters. Recitation of selected
hymns also forms a part of the discourse. In religions where knowledge of the Scriptures is
mandatory, these types of presentations help in the easy understanding of them, in religions
that discuss intricate philosophy, this type helps in the formation of associations to understand
these concepts better.

The theme of a religious discourse is based on values and treatment ethical. They range
from universal justice to simple faith. As the theme is extracted from the respective religious
text ,the individual interpretation of the speaker of a particular episode from the myths could
vey well be the topic of the speech on a given day. Religion, theology and philosophy are too
vast to be discussed on a single platform.

While listening to a religious speaker our knowledge of the Scriptures should be of a very
tall order, so as to follow the reference correctly and at the same time remain interested in the
presentation. It is better to avoid attending a presentation rather than explicitly express our
atheistic views before, during or after the discourse. There is generally no question answer
session at the end of a religious speech though some speakers permit the same in recent
times.

Religious services typically include some from of homiletics or sermonizing, presented

by a member of the clergy or of the congregation. An effective sermon has several characteristics:
(1) unity, a snse of coherence around a theme, (2) memory, recalling the traditional beliefs of
the religious community: (3) recognition, to enable members of the congregation to affirm their
own faith: (4) identification, a sense of familiarity and relevance for the listeners: (5) anticipation,
to sustain listener attention; (6) intimacy, to create a personal relationship between the speaker
and the listener.

Sermons are given at various instances. Apart from those rendered regularly in the
respective places of worship, they are presented on special occasions like marriage, festivals,
family rituals, social functions, funerals and on other suitable occasions. All the required
proceedings that are associated with the religion in reference have to be strictly adhered to the
while attending them. Thus religious unit and conformity are vital factors in establishing social
equanimity.
 77

Do You Know
21. Religious speeches evoke _________ response in the listener

22. No matter what religion the speaker may belong to he/she would to inculcate in the listener
____________

23. They are presented in the form of a mixture of ___________

24. The theme of a religious discourse is based on ___________ and the treatment
is___________

25. They are presented on special occasions like ____________

Check Your Progress

1. What, according to you, is the need for an educational speech?

2. What are the features of a political speech?

3. What is the significance of a social speech ?

4. What are the main characteristics of a religious sermon?

78

5. What are the requirements for effective listening of your favorite type of speech?

7.4 Recap

 Listening to Educational and Religious Speeches have innate personal preferences and
benefits, while Political and Social Speeches can be Community oriented.

 Most Educational Speeches lay their emphasis on guiding the prospective candidate to
choose a discipline that can open up lots of avenues in the job market.

 While listening to an educational speech, we must have at our disposal at least a piece of
paper and pen to take down the information provided.

 This kind of speech calls for intense or focused listening where in the listener has to be
highly attentive.

 A good political speech is one that is delivered directly from the speaker’s soul as the
very purpose of a political speech is based on an argument or a counter argument.

 They are essentially aimed at wooing the voters to take their stance, they are charged
with accusations against the opponent, or pride about their achievements, etc. wherein
they always seem to touch upon the extremes.

 Thus a political speech can sway the people’s mindset completely in the direction that
the speaker wants if presented in the manner that befits such a response.

 Social Speeches are those that are given to sensitize the listeners on burning social
issues.

 These speeches aim at creating awareness on the many issues that confront society
and evoking the public to respond appropriately to them.
 79

 Religious speeches evoke an ethical response in the listener.

 Religious sermons as they are usually referred to, are overloaded with anecdotes and
reference, from the scriptures of the religions they refer to.

 Unity, memory, recognition, identification, anticipation, and intimacy are the chief
characteristics of a Religious Speech.

7.5 Activities
1. Listen to a politician’s speech and give your response to the manner of its presentation.

2. Read some of the finest speeches by world leaders to understand the nuance of thought
and its expression.

3. Make it a point to attend a few religious speeches and note your comments on the art of
listening to them. (like Lincoln’s Gettysburg Speech, Nehru “ At the stroke of
midnight…”Swam Vivekananda’s Chicago address.)

4. Try to present a speech on a topic that interests you most.

7.6 Check Your Answers

Do You Know
1. Serious and matter of fact type

2. Paper and a pen

3. academicians, industrialists and other professionals

4. seminars, symposiums, conferences and workshops

5. The importance of education, values and ethics, aims and objectives, teacher centered
curriculum, learner centered curriculum, collaborative learning and many more areas are
covered and discovered in an emphatic educational speech.

6. Stuart Mill

7. High pitched, powerful both in tone and terms

8. Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, John F, Kennedy, our own Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar
Patel and n recent times, ‘Cho’ Ramaswami, A.B. Vajpayee
80

9. We will be overcome by a sublime sense of awe producing a response that can be called
an amalgamation of respect, enlightenment, informative, entertainment that would create
a flutter in our spirits by the sheer power of their words.

10. Winston Churchill and john F.Kennedy

11. False

12. True

13. True

14. False

15. True

16. True

17. False

18. True

19. False

20. True

21. An ethical

22. The importance of linking religion with one’s way of life

23. Narrative lecture, music and dance- drama and other theatrical forms as is required

24. Values, ethical

25. Marriage, festivals, family rituals and social functions, funerals and on other demanding
Occasions

7.7 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in about 50 words

1. What are the different type of presentations that fall under Educational speeches?

2. What are the Chief features of a Political speech?

Answer the following questions in about 200 words

1. Describe briefly the characteristic features of a Religious speech.

2. Explain the significance of a Social speech.

 81

LESSON 8
EDUTAINMENT - LISTENING TO EDUCATIONAL
ENTERTAINMENT TOOLS

8.1 Introduction

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy – this renowned proverb states that if a
person continues to work without playing or entertaining himself he becomes a dull person.
This proverb emphasises the importance of working and simultaneously engaging in relaxing
activities. As students, our primary work is studying. Living in this busy world, there is simply no
time for entertainment. But what if you can study and have fun at the same time. This lesson
will introduce the concept of ‘Educational Entertainment’. Edutainment. It will throw light on the
features of edutainment and the importance of listening in edutainment.

8.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 comprehend the concept of Edutainment

 identify the features of Edutainment

 listen to and comprehend messages from an edutainment piece.

Plan of Study
8.1 Introduction

8.2 Objectives

8.3.1 What is Edutainment?

8.3.2 Features of Edutainment

8.4 Recap

8.5 Activity

8.6 Check your answers

8.7 Model Questions

82

8.3.1 What is Edutainment?

To know what edutainment is, we must first know what education and entertainment are.
We all know the importance of Education. Education refers to the gradual process of acquiring
knowledge and skill in a particular area(s).

The education that is imparted in educational institutions like schools and colleges is
called formal education. The Formal education system involves assessment and evaluations
to deem a person educated. This kind of education is acquired in a particular subject and
involves certifications or degrees to mark the completion of formal education in that particular
subject.

We cannot confine the term ‘education’ only to educational institutions because one
learns a lot away from these rigid systems of education. For example, a farmer may not have
gone to school and got the formal education that a student might have received but he is
certainly educated with the knowledge of growing crops. Similarly, a jewel merchant may not
have received formal education but may have gained knowledge on the art of making jewellery
or on business and marketing skills. This kind of education that one receives is out of experience
and life’s lessons and it is called informal education.

Therefore it is apt and right to say that all human beings are educated in some way or
another. The Oxford English Dictionary defines Entertainment as, ‘the action of providing or
being provided with amusement or enjoyment’. In other words, entertainment can be seen as
an activity that holds the interest of a person and gives him/her a feeling of pleasure and
delight. Different people have different interests that give them joy. Some of the common
interests are Music, Stories, Drama, Games (both indoor and outdoor), Talking, Dance, Movie,
etc.

Some people give more focus to education and some to entertainment. It is important to
strike balance between the two and therefore we have a new genre termed “Edutainment”,
which refers to education that happens through entertainment. A perfect example of Edutainment
are the nursery rhymes that we can see on a YouTube channel. A child looks at the video that
completely amuses and entertains him but subconsciously the video also teaches the child the
rhymes. In other words, when the child watches the video for entertainment, education also
taken place.
 83

Some commonly used edutainment tools are word puzzles, podcasts, documentaries,
interviews etc.

8.3.2 Features of Edutainment tools

Listening to Edutainment tools is informative and fun as it is highly informal. Education

through entertainment takes place at the listener’s own pace. Here are some of the features of
Edutainment tools:

1. Attractive: Any tool that aims at edutainment (be it movies, puzzles, games, gadgets …)
must be attractive. It must be colourful, vibrant and must engage as many senses as
possible (like the auditory sense, the sense of touch etc.). In short, it must grab the
learner’s attention quickly. When edutainment tools appeal to the senses, they are better
remembered. Researchers say that when the tool is attractive, the learning experience
makes a more permanent mark. As attractive forms of edutainment involve several sensory
organs, the content can be better recollected.

2. Repetition & Reinforcement: Another feature of edutainment is repetition. Statistics say

that anything that is repeated more than five times stays better in the memory. In an
edutainment tool, the educational content is repeated several times so as to drill the
content in to the minds of the listeners. This repetition reinforces the content, and the
mind is able to retain it better.

3. Provoking Thought: Unlike the above features, this is a practical feature of edutainment
that depends on the learner. Edutainment should not just provide entertainment but must
also make the learner think. This can be done by posing questions to the learner.

Most of us might be familiar with the cartoon series called Dora the Explorer. This cartoon
can be seen as an example of Edutainment that makes use of all the features mentioned
above. Firstly, the cartoon is very attractive – it is colourful and makes use of songs and
dances to keep the attention of the learners. Secondly, we can see Dora and Boots (the monkey)
teaching new vocabulary throughout the various episodes of the cartoon by repeating the new
words and reinforcing them through multiple usages in various scenarios. Lastly, the cartoon
provokes thought by posing various questions to the learners. Dora, in the cartoon also pauses
for the learners to answer the questions asked.
84

Do you know?

Answer the following question in a line or two:

1. Why should edutainment tools be attractive?

2. What is formal education?

3. Why is repetition essential in edutainment tools?

8.3.3 Listen to comprehend messages from an edutainment piece

Listening plays a vital role in edutainment because without listening there is no assimilation
of ideas (i.e.) when a person does not listen, education does not happen.

Both active and passive listening can help the listener in educating and entertaining
himself. When a listener listens actively, education happens at a quicker pace because the
listener gives his/her full concentration to the tool. When a listener listens passively, learning
takes place at a slower pace because the content and ideas projected in the tool take time to
register in the subconscious mind. In order to speed up the learning process in passive listening,
one must repeatedly listen to the edutainment tool.

To comprehend messages from an edutainment tool, it is important not to get carried

away by the attractive elements, such as music or colours, in it. Train your mind to remain
focussed on the message that is conveyed through the edutainment tool.

Know your progress:

State whether the following sentences are true or false:

1. Education can happen outside classrooms.

2. Education is more important than engaging in activities that provide amusement.

3. If edutainment tools are unattractive, the listener might find it difficult to recollect the
message that was conveyed.
 85

4. Edutainment tools need not make the listeners think.

5. Listening plays a very important role in edutainment as without listening education or

entertainment cannot take place.

8.4 Recap

 Edutainment is a portmanteau word that combines education with entertainment.

 Listening to Edutainment pieces are informative and fun.

 Education or edutainment is both formal and informal and it refers to the act of imparting
knowledge

 Entertainment is the aspect of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment

that causes happiness.

 Edutainment pieces are called so because they educate and amuse the listeners.

 Edutainment tools must be attractive in order to attract the attention of the listener.

 It must also ensure that the knowledge conveyed is repeated several times to help the
listener retain the content.

 Edutainment tools must make a person think.

 Listening plays a vital role in edutainment.

8.5 Activity
1. Look at any one of the following and identify the features of edutainment used in it.

a) a documentary b) a word puzzle that can be played on a mobile phone c) a nursery

rhyme video

2. Make a PowerPoint Presentation using the contents of this lesson. Add pictures and
videos to it. Make your PowerPoint Presentation an edutainment tool.
86

8.6 Check your answers

Do you know?

Answer the following question in a line or two:

1. It should be attractive in order to grab the attention of the listener. When the edutainment
tool appeals to the senses, it is better remembered

2. The education that is imparted in educational institutions like schools and colleges is
called Formal education. It also involves assessments to deem a person educated. This
kind of education is acquired over a particular subject and involves certifications or degrees
to mark the completion of formal education in a particular subject.

3. Because repetition ensures the content gets internalised in the mind.

Know your progress:

State whether the following sentences are true or false:

1. True

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. True

8.7 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in about 50 words

1. Can both active and passive listeners benefit from Edutainment tools? Explain

Answer the following in about 100 words

1. Differentiate formal education and informal education.

2. Explain the features of Edutainment tools.

 87

LESSON 9
LISTENING FOR LEADERSHIP

9.1 Introduction

Who is a leader? Technically speaking, a leader is a person who holds a superior position
in a certain field. But can a person’s designation alone define his ability to be a good leader? If
your answer is “Yes”, then you may have to think twice. If your answer is “No”, you are absolutely
right. In this lesson, we will analyse the features of a good leader in a professional set-up. This
lesson will also throw light on how listening can help you become a better leader.

9.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 Identify the qualities of a good leader

 Listen to build inter-personal communication in leadership

Plan of Study
9.1 Introduction

9.2 Objectives

9.3.1 Who is a leader?

9.3.2 Qualities of a good leader

9.3.3. Listen to build inter-personal communication in leadership

9.4 Recap

9.5 Activity

9.6 Check your answers

9.7 Model Questions

88

9.3.1 Who is a good leader?

The Oxford Dictionary defines a leader as a person “leading a group of people or an

organisation.” The following short story will give you a better perspective on who is a good
leader:

In the 1930’s there was a young boy who had become addicted to and obsessed with
eating sugar. His mother decided to get help and took a long and hot journey with her son
walking many miles and hours under the scorching sun.

She finally reached Gandhi and asked him to tell her son to stop eating sugar, it wasn’t
good for his health. Gandhi replied, “I cannot tell him that. But you may bring him back in a few
weeks and then I will talk to him.” The mother was confused and upset and took the boy home.

Two weeks later she came back. This time Gandhi looked directly at the boy and said,
“Boy, you should stop eating sugar. It is not good for your health.” The boy nodded his head
and promised he wouldn’t. The boy’s mother was puzzled. She asked “Why didn’t you tell him
that two weeks ago when I brought him here to see you?”

Gandhi smiled and said “Mother, two weeks ago I was eating a lot of sugar myself.”

Gandhi, in this story, is an example of a good leader. He did not advise or instruct the boy
on the first day as he himself was addicted to sugar. Gandhi was able to instruct the boy only
after two weeks as he himself required those two weeks to wean himself off sugar. He practiced
what he preached and he practiced before he preached. This is an essential quality of a leader.
A good leader is not someone who sits at the top and gives instructions to the people below
him. If he neither leads from the ground nor sets the precedence, he will not know the problems
and challenges that his subordinate face. Therefore, a good leader leads by example, like
Gandhi. A good leader is a person who understands and empathises with the problems of the
people he is working with. A good leader takes the lead and has personality, courage, and clear
vision with the ambition to succeed. A good leader encourages the team to perform to their
optimum all the time and drives organisational success. Let us now look at the qualities a good
leader must possess.
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Check your progress I

1. Name two qualities of good leader that you learnt from the story of Gandhi?

2. Why is it important to lead by example?

9.3.2 Qualities of a good leader

“A good leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way”- This famous saying
defines a good leader in a nutshell.

To be a good leader at the workplace, one must know to choose the right path and to do
the right thing always. If the leader himself does not know the right path, how can he guide his
co-workers? A leader who does not know to do the right thing leads like a blind man leading
other blind men.

To be a good leader at the workplace, one must travel the path himself and lead from the
ground. A leader will know the problems that his subordinates face only when he travels that
path. From afar the leader will not know the woes of a chore that he assigns other people to do.

To be a good leader at the workplace, one must show the way to one’s subordinates and
guide them in the right direction.

Here are some of the qualities of a good leader:

1. Visionary: A vision can be defined as a goal or an aim that is meant to be attained in a

stipulated period of time. A good leader has to be a visionary by setting a vision and
pursuing it with the help of the co-workers. An efficient leader works tirelessly to attain
that vision.
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2. Integrity: A good leader must display integrity at all times. Integrity is a quintessential
quality for the success of any business. It refers to being honest with all people andat all
times. When a leader shows integrity, his co-workers will follow his footsteps and have
integrity. This will result in the creation of a workplace that is built on trust and understanding.
We live in a world where everything is corrupted and every product is adulterated therefore
showing that integrity and being ethical will take you a long way and will portion you as an
efficient leader.

3. Motivator: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become
more, you are a leader”– John Adams. Inspiring others is the trademark of an efficient
leader. The co-workers should not be forced to oblige the leader because of his / her
designation but must be willing to oblige him / her. A good leader can create a willing
worker only by motivating him. Motivation is best done by being an example and by
guiding employees rather than by commanding and forcing employees to work.

4. Empathetic: Hitler is always cited under the category of a bad leader. The reason for this
is his lack of empathy. He was neither empathetic with the Jews nor with some of the
other Nazis. An empathetic leader is always kind and puts himself in other’s shoes to
understand their concerns at the workplace. If a man shut his ears to problems of his
subordinates, he can never be a good leader. When a leader is empathetic, he forms a
close bond with his co-workers, thereby motivating them to work towards the vision of the
organisation.

9.3.3. Listen to build inter-personal communication in leadership

Apart from all the qualities mentioned above, a good leader should be a good
communicator to prove himself efficient. Communication is essential for a leader to convey his
vision and to show guidance. The first step to being a good communicator is to be a good
listener. When a leader is a good listener, he wins the trust of the employees thereby creating
a strong workplace bond.

Inter-personal communication & Inter-personal relationship

Communication can be of different types.

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Intra-personal communication: Intra-personal communication refers to communication

that a person has with himself. Thinking to ourselves, raising questions in our mind, answering
questions in our mind are all examples of intra-personal communication. Yoga can also been
seen as a form of intra-personal communication as the person uses the power of the mind to
evoke happiness and peace.

Inter-personal communication:Inter-personal communication is communication between

two people. This communication can be either verbal or non-verbal. Most of the time, inter-
personal communication is face-to-face; however, it can also be a telephonic conversation or
any other kind of communication through a medium. In this type of conversation the speaker
and the listener have equal roles in the conversation where they hear each other.

Mass communication:Mass communication refers to communication with a large number

of people (a mass) mostly through the use of mass media. For example, news channels convey
information to a large group of people using television as a mode. Mass communication is
seen as one sided communication in a lot of scenarios as the listener does not have an
opportunity to respond to the speaker.

What is an inter-personal relationship?

‘Inter-personal relationship’ refers to the social, intellectual and emotional interaction

between two people in a given situation. In other words, inter-personal relationship refers to
inter personal communication taking place in a situation. Building inter-personal relationships
can be formal or informal. When this relationship is built and achieved between members of
the family or friends, it is informal. When an inter-personal relationship developed between two
people at work, then it is formal.

Building Inter-personal relationships at workplace

Building good inter-personal relationships at the workplace is very important because it

ensures smooth conduction of work. It also aids in developing the standards of the working
environment. A good leader always has a good inter-personal relationships with his employees.
It is through this robust relationship that a leader is able to motivate his co-workers and encourage
them to work towards the vision that is set. When a leader communicates, he is able to listen
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to the problems his co-workers face and solve them efficiently. When problems at the workplace
are solved, the stress at the workplace reduces by leaps and bounds. Therefore it is essential
to build a healthy inter-personal relationship at the workplace.

The key element to building inter-personal relationships at the workplace is listening.

Listening creates a bond between the leader and the co-worker. This bond results in trust.
When a co-worker trusts the leader, he is able to rely on the decision made by the leader
without doubt. This reduces quarrels and clashes between the leader and his co-workers.
When a co-worker trusts the leader, he is also able to confide all his work related problems in
him, and together they are able to find a solution. When a leader listens, he also non-verbally
shows that he respects the person who is talking to him. Active listening involves listening to
the speaker by nodding the head, making eye contact and responding appropriately.

In conclusion, listening is a prime factor in efficient leadership. When a leader listens to

his co-workers, he is able to build a healthy inter-personal relationship with them, ensuring
smooth conducting of work.

Check your Progress II

Fill in the blanks

1. The four qualities of an efficient leader are ______________, ______________,
______________ and ______________

2. ______________ communication refers to communication that a person has with himself.

3. ______________ communication is communication between two people.

4. ______________ refers to communication to a large number of people (a mass) mostly

through the use of mass media.

5. ______________ establishes a bond and builds trust

9.4 Recap

 A good leader has personality, courage and clear vision with an ambition to succeed.

 A good leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way
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 A good leader has to be a visionary by setting a vision and pursuing it with the help of his
or her co-workers.

 A good leader must display integrity at all times.

 Integrity is the foundation for the success of any business.

 Inspiring and motivating co-workers is a trademark of an efficient leader.

 Empathy is another quality of the leader because he is able to honestly relate to the co-
workers

 Communication can be categorised into three types: intra-personal, inter-personal and

mass communication.

 Inter-personal relationship refers to the social, intellectual and emotional interaction

between two people in a given situation.

 A good leader always has good inter-personal relationships with his employees.

 When a leader communicates, he is able to listen to the problems his co-workers face
and solve them efficiently.

 A leader can motivate and push his co-workers to reach the vision only when he has
goods inter-personal relationship with them.

 The key element to building inter-personal relationship at the workplace is listening.

9.5 Activity
1. Subas Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru, Rani Lakshmibai and Tipu Sultan are some of
the famous leaders of India. Read their life history and identify three characteristics of a
leader in each of them.
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9.6 Check your answers

Check your progress I

1. Listens to the problems patiently, finds a solution, does not command the boy but offers
kind guidance, does not preach what he does not practice (any two answers)

2. It is important to lead by example because the leader will not understand the problems or
challenges faced by his subordinates.

Check your Progress II

1. Visionary, Integrity, Motivator and Empathetic

2. Intra-personal

3. Inter-personal

4. Mass Communication

5. Listening

9.7 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in 100 words

1. Write short notes on the different types of communication.

2. What are the qualities of a good leader? Explain.

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LESSON 10
COMPREHENDING STORIES
(LISTENING TO STORIES AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS)

10.1 Introduction

Story telling is an art that has been used from time immemorial to transmit knowledge
and entertain listeners. Most of us grew up listening to the stories from our grandparents and
parents. These stories added value to the repertoire of the already existing knowledge and
understanding. There is plenty of scientific research that proves that listening to stories improves
our thinking skills and kindle, creativity in us. In this lesson we will learn how to comprehend
stories by practically applying all that we have learnt so far in this book.

10.2 Objectives

After reading this unit, you will be able to

 Comprehend stories

 Answer questions based on the story

10.3 Plan of Study

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Objectives

10.3.1 Stories – tools to educate and entertain

10.3.2 Comprehend stories

10.3.3 Answer questions

10.4 Recap

10.5 Activity

10.6 Check your answers

10.7 Model Questions

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10.3.1 Stories– tools to educate and entertain

Story telling is a tool that is used to educate and at the same time entertain listeners. A
study of the different communities shows that knowledge was passed on from one generation
to another in the form of stories. Stories taught people skills like hunting, fishing, food gathering
etc. Since stories imparted life lessons they are educative in nature. At the same time, they are
entertaining because the life lessons were encapsulated in the form of songs and tales. Therefore
stories can be seen as an ancient form of ‘Edutainment’.

10.3.2 Comprehend stories

Before we go into listening to stories, here are some tips to comprehend stories in a
better manner.

1. Eliminate disturbances: As we saw in lesson 2, a quiet environment is necessary for

effective listening. A noisy environment contributes negatively to listening to and
comprehending stories.

2. Visualise: When you listen to a story, try to create a visual image or a picture in your
mind. This technique would help you in not only comprehending the stories but also in
remembering the sequence of the story that is narrated.

3. Note-taking: The average listening capacity of an adult human being is 20 minutes.

Keep this in mind when you are listening to stories. It is good to take notes in order to
keep track of a lengthy story.

10.3.3 Answering questions based on the story

Comprehension of a story is the key step that will help you answer questions. In
order to achieve that one must learn to use the sub-skills of listening. As we have already seen,
the two sub-skills of listening are listening for global comprehension and listening for specific
purposes.

Listening for global comprehension and answering questions

Listening for global comprehension aims at letting the listeners obtain a comprehensive
or an overall understanding of the story. When this sub-skill of listening is used, the thrust is not
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on understanding individual words or sentences in the story but on understanding the essence
of the story.

Here is a story for you to listen to.

Listen to the story online using the following link.

Link: http://eslyes.com/eslread/ss/s015.htm

(A transcript of the story is given below)

Barbara couldn’t take it anymore. Her upstairs neighbor was blasting his stereo again.
She had asked him twice already to turn the volume down. The first time she asked, he was
surprised. He said he didn’t know that she could hear his stereo.

“Yes,” she said. “It’s just like your stereo was in my living room. I can hear every note!”

He said he would keep it down. She hoped that he was telling the truth. Of course, he
wasn’t. The very next day, he blasted his stereo. She marched upstairs to remind him of his
promise. He said the volume was so low that he could barely hear it. She asked him to turn it
lower. He said he would try. Barbara could swear that when she reentered her apartment, the
music was louder than when she had walked upstairs.

So, this was the third time. She took her baseball bat upstairs with her. She knocked very
loudly on his door. When he opened the door, she screamed at him like a crazy person. She
told him she would kill him if he didn’t turn the music down and keep it down. His eyes got big.

She went back downstairs. She couldn’t hear a note.

I can’t believe I said that, she told herself.

Activity I

The aim of this activity is not to check if you are able to ascertain little details but to help
you to get the overall understanding of the story.
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Listen to the story and choose the correct option:

1. The story is about a person named ___________

a) Barrack b) Barbara c) Barney

2. Where does the neighbour stay?

a) upstairs b) downstairs c) to the left

3. What is the main problem in the story?

a) The loud stereo b) the heavy baseball bat c) the large living room

Listening for specific information and answering questions

Listening for specific information focuses on the listener’s ability to understand the
speaker’s message in detail. To listen for specific information, the listener must demonstrate
active listening and must concentrate and pay attention to what is being said.

Activity II

Now listen to the story again. This time, pay close attention to the details in the story. The
aim of this activity is to listen for specific information that will in turn aid in the comprehension
of the story.

1. Who was creating a problem for Barbara?

2. Did Barbara succeed in her attempts to make her neighbour reduce the volume?
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3. How did Barbara manage to make her neighbour reduce the volume?

4. Barbara threatened her neighbour to reduce the volume of the stereo. In a world where
there is a lot of violence and hatred, do you think Barbara did the right thing by threatening
her neighbour with violence? Give your opinion in about 50 words.

10.4 Recap

 Story telling is an art that is used to transmit knowledge and entertain listeners

 A quiet environment facilitates better comprehension.

 While listening to a story, try to visualise or picturise an image of what you are listening
to.

 Visualisation helps in retaining the story better in the mind and also helps with remembering
the chronology of the story.

 If the story is lengthy, taking notes would come in handy and would aid in better
comprehension.

 To listen to a story and comprehend its meaning, it is mandatory to put to use the sub-
skills of listening.

 Listening for global comprehension aids in understanding the gist or the overall meaning
of the story.

 Listening for specific information provides understanding of smaller details in the story
which ultimately leads to understanding the story in full.
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10.5 Activity

Listen to the story using the link given below and answer the questions

Link: http://www.manythings.org/voa/stories/A_Pair_of _Silk_Stockings_-

_By_Kate_Chopin.html

(The transcript of the story is given here for your reference)

A Pair of Silk Stockings – Kate Chopin

Little Missus Sommers one day found herself the unexpected owner of fifteen dollars. It
seemed to her a very large amount of money. The way it filled up her worn money holder gave
her a feeling of importance that she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one she considered carefully. For a day or two she
walked around in a dreamy state as she thought about her choices. She did not wish to act
quickly and do anything she might regret. During the quiet hours of the night she lay awake
considering ideas.

A dollar or two could be added to the price she usually paid for her daughter Janie’s
shoes. This would guarantee they would last a great deal longer than usual. She would buy
cloth for new shirts for the boys. Her daughter Mag should have another dress. And still there
would be enough left for new stockings — two pairs per child. What time that would save her in
always repairing old stockings! The idea of her little family looking fresh and new for once in
their lives made her restless with excitement.

The neighbors sometimes talked of the “better days” that little Missus Sommers had
known before she had ever thought of being Missus Sommers. She herself never looked back
to her younger days. She had no time to think about the past. The needs of the present took all
her energy.

Missus Sommers knew the value of finding things for sale at reduced prices. She could
stand for hours making her way little by little toward the desired object that was selling below
cost. She could push her way if need be.
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But that day she was tired and a little bit weak. She had eaten a light meal—no! She
thought about her day. Between getting the children fed and the house cleaned, and preparing
herself to go shopping, she had forgotten to eat at all!

When she arrived at the large department store, she sat in front of an empty counter.
She was trying to gather the strength and courage to push through a mass of busy shoppers.
She rested her hand upon the counter.

She wore no gloves. She slowly grew aware that her hand had felt something very pleasant
to touch. She looked down to see that her hand lay upon a pile of silk stockings. A sign nearby
announced that they had been reduced in price. A young girl who stood behind the counter
asked her if she wished to examine the silky leg coverings.

She smiled as if she had been asked to inspect diamond jewelry with the aim of purchasing
it. But she went on feeling the soft, costly items. Now she used both hands, holding the stockings
up to see the light shine through them.

Two red marks suddenly showed on her pale face. She looked up at the shop girl.

“Do you think there are any size eights-and-a-half among these?”

There were a great number of stockings in her size. Missus Sommers chose a black pair
and looked at them closely.

“A dollar and ninety-eight cents,” she said aloud. “Well, I will buy this pair.”

She handed the girl a five dollar bill and waited for her change and the wrapped box with
the stockings. What a very small box it was! It seemed lost in her worn old shopping bag.

Missus Sommers then took the elevator which carried her to an upper floor into the
ladies’ rest area. In an empty corner, she replaced her cotton stockings with the new silk ones.

For the first time she seemed to be taking a rest from the tiring act of thought. She had let
herself be controlled by some machine-like force that directed her actions and freed her of
responsibility.
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How good was the touch of the silk on her skin! She felt like lying back in the soft chair
and enjoying the richness of it. She did for a little while. Then she put her shoes back on and
put her old stockings into her bag. Next, she went to the shoe department, sat down and waited
to be fitted.

The young shoe salesman was unable to guess her background. He could not resolve
her worn, old shoes with her beautiful, new stockings. She tried on a pair of new boots.

She held back her skirts and turned her feet one way and her head another way as she
looked down at the shiny, pointed boots. Her foot and ankle looked lovely. She could not
believe that they were a part of herself. She told the young salesman that she wanted an
excellent and stylish fit. She said she did not mind paying extra as long as she got what she
desired.

After buying the new boots, she went to the glove department. It was a long time since
Missus Sommers had been fitted with gloves. When she had bought a pair they were always
“bargains,” so cheap that it would have been unreasonable to have expected them to be fitted
to her hand.

Now she rested her arm on the counter where gloves were for sale. A young shop girl
drew a soft, leather glove over Missus Sommers’s hand. She smoothed it down over the wrist
and buttoned it neatly. Both women lost themselves for a second or two as they quietly praised
the little gloved hand.

There were other places where money might be spent. A store down the street sold
books and magazines. Missus Sommers bought two costly magazines that she used to read
back when she had been able to enjoy other pleasant things.

She lifted her skirts as she crossed the street. Her new stockings and boots and gloves
had worked wonders for her appearance. They had given her a feeling of satisfaction, a sense
of belonging to the well-dressed crowds.

She was very hungry. Another time she would have ignored the desire for food until
reaching her own home. But the force that was guiding her would not permit her to act on such
a thought.
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There was a restaurant at the corner. She had never entered its doors. She had sometimes
looked through the windows. She had noticed the white table cloths, shining glasses and waiters
serving wealthy people.

When she entered, her appearance created no surprise or concern, as she had half
feared it might.

She seated herself at a small table. A waiter came at once to take her order. She ordered
six oysters, a chop, something sweet, a glass of wine and a cup of coffee. While waiting to be
served she removed her gloves very slowly and set them beside her. Then she picked up her
magazine and looked through it.

It was all very agreeable. The table cloths were even more clean and white than they had
seemed through the window, and the crystal drinking glasses shore even more brightly. There
were ladies and gentlemen, who did not notice her, lunching at the small tables like her own.

A pleasing piece of music could be heard, and a gentle wind was blowing through the
window. She tasted a bite, she read a word or two and she slowly drank the wine. She moved
her toes around in the silk stockings. The price of it all made no difference.

When she was finished, she counted the money out to the waiter and left an extra coin on
his tray. He bowed to her as if she were a princess of royal blood.

There was still money in her purse, and her next gift to herself presented itself as a
theater advertisement. When she entered the theater, the play had already begun. She sat
between richly dressed women who were there to spend the day eating sweets and showing
off their costly clothing. There were many others who were there only to watch the play.

It is safe to say that there was no one there who had the same respect that Missus
Sommers had for her surroundings. She gathered in everything —stage and players and people
— in one wide sensation. She laughed and cried at the play. She even talked a little with the
women. One woman wiped her eyes with a small square of lace and passed Missus Sommers
her box of candy.
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The play was over, the music stopped, the crowd flowed outside. It was like a dream had
ended. Missus Sommers went to wait for the cable car.

A man with sharp eyes sat opposite her. It was hard for him to fully understand what he
saw in her expression. In truth, he saw nothing — unless he was a magician. Then he would
sense her heartbreaking wish that the cable car would never stop anywhere, but go on and on
with her forever.

Activity III

This story narrates the events of a day in Missus Sommers’ life. Arrange
the events in the sequential order:
 Missus Sommers watches a play

 Missus Sommers waits for the cable car which will take her back to her routing life

 Missus Sommers gets fifteen dollars

 Missus Sommers buys a pair of gloves

 Missus Sommers buys a pair of stockings

 Missus Sommers has lunch in a posh restaurant

Activity IV

Answer the following questions in a sentence:

1. What are Missus Sommers’ daughters’ names?

2. Why does Missus Sommers never have time for herself?

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3. Describe the hotel that Missus Sommers visited in your own words.

4. Is Missus Sommers happy about taking the cable car ride?

5. How did Missus Sommers spend her 15 dollars?

10.6 Check your answers

Activity I

Listen to the story and choose the correct option:

1. b) Barbara

2. a) upstairs

3. a) The loud stereo

Activity II
1. The upstairs neighbour was creating a problem for Barbara

2. Yes Barbara succeeded in making her neighbour reduce the volume of his stereo

3. Barbara took a baseball bat upstairs and knocked heavily on his door. She angrily asked
him to reduce the volume of his stereo

4. Give your opinion.

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Activity III
 Missus Sommers gets fifteen dollars

 Missus Sommers buys a pair of stockings

 Missus Sommers buys a pair of gloves

 Missus Sommers has lunch in a posh restaurant

 Missus Sommers watches a play

 Missus Sommers waits for the cable car which will take her back to her routing life

Activity IV
1. Janie and Mag

2. Because Missus Sommers prime focus was her family and her children. She cooks, cleans
the house and shops for the family. She is too busy taking care of them that, in this story,
she even forgets to eat.

3. The hotel looked expensive because of the white table clothes, sparkling glasses and
wealthy customers. The hotel had windows through which gentle breeze blew in. The
hotel also played music

4. No, Missus Sommers is unhappy about the cable car ride because that ride signified her
life. Just like the cable car, in her life too, she is always running around and taking care of
the needs of her family. The ride on the cable car also means that the day that she spent
on herself without thinking about her family is over.

5. She purchased a pair of silk stockings, a pair of gloves, a pair of boots and some magazines.
She then went to a restaurant and had food. After lunch, she watched a play and went
back home on a cable car

10.7 Model Questions

Answer the following questions in 100 words each

1. Do stories fall under the category of ‘Edutainment’? Why?

2. What are the three aspects that aid better comprehension of a story? Explain.
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MODEL QUESTION PAPER

FIRST YEAR - SECOND SEMESTER

COMMUNICATIVE ENGLISH

PAPER - II
LISTENING SKILLS
Time: 3hrs Maximum: 75 marks

SECTION A (10 x 2 = 20 marks)

Answer any ten questions out of twelve questions
All questions carry equal marks

1. General and selective listening

2. Pacing in TV Newscast

3. Retroflexion in Indian English

4. Purpose of a religious speech

5. Tone of an educational speech

6. Differences between American and British English

7. Difference between active and passive listening

8. Define Edutainment

9. Differences between formal and informal education

10. What are the two sub-skills of listening?

11. Mass communication

12. Inter-personal relationship

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SECTION B (5 x 5 = 25 marks)
Answer any Five questions out of Seven questions
All questions carry equal marks

13. Enumerate the qualities of effective listening

14. Describe how you would listen to news

15. What are the differences in listening to Radio and Television

16. Account for the myths about Australian accent

17. Highlight the important aspects of a political speech

18. Write an account on how to listen to comprehend stories

19. Write a short note on the barriers of effective listening.

SECTION C (3 x 10 = 30 marks)
Answer any Three questions out of Five questions
All questions carry equal marks

20. Describe the factors that govern listening.

21. What are the constraints of Radio and Television with reference to listening?

22. Explain in detail the features of American English

23. Bring out the significance of a social speech

24. Describe the qualities of a good leader with specific reference to listening skills.